The WSL is selling out. Or at least they might be. The sport’s primary competitive surfing organization is exploring new possibilities for growth, which may include taking on more investors, or even selling the company as a whole.
The news was first broken by sports business news outlet Sportico, which also got a hold of materials shared with prospective investors. The documents revealed a rosy financial picture for the WSL, with last week’s Gold Coast Pro drawing more than 50,000 attendees and an online viewership increase of 30% year-over-year. Part of that success was a result of streaming platforms providing a better fit for competitive surfing’s unpredictable scheduling than traditional television.
When reached for comment, the league confirmed that they are indeed contemplating expansion. “The WSL is coming off its best year ever and recently kicked off its 50th anniversary season,” wrote a WSL spokesperson to The Inertia. “We have received a significant amount of inbound interest and have decided to explore strategic alternatives to accelerate the next phase of growth. At the same time, we remain focused on providing an incredible platform for our athletes, fans, and partners.”
For a quick review, the ASP was acquired by ZoSea in 2012, an American business group lead by Dirk Ziff. It was rebranded as the WSL in 2015. A number of business shakeups have followed since, including leadership positions. Most recently, after the unceremonious departure of CEO Erik Logan, the WSL hired former Riot Games exec Ryan Crosby to take his place in 2024. Soon after, Crosby implemented major changes to the schedule and format of the league’s competitions. Those included the abandonment of the controversial Final 5 format, addition of two “postseason” events in Dubai and Portugal, a larger women’s field, and a return to closing out the season at Pipeline. We also reported today that the WSL has sold its stake in the Surf Ranch.
Many of those changes were in response to years of fan criticism and it seems like the financials are backing up those decisions. But where will that take the WSL next?
