WFDF

WFDF Announces Live-Streaming Partnership with Ultiworld for World Ultimate Club Championship

In News, Press Release * Official Communication by WFDF

The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) and Ultiworld.com (Ultiworld) are pleased to announce a joint-venture relationship for live-streaming of the 2022 WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships (WUCC). Returning to Cincinnati, Ohio, the site of the 2018 WUCC, the tournament features 128 teams (40 Open, 40 Women’s, and 48 Mixed) from 23-30 July 2022.

There will be two showcase pitches, with eight livestreamed games available per day during the preliminary rounds, and extensive coverage of the quarterfinals in each division. All semifinals and finals will be streamed. While much of the content will be behind a subscription paywall, there will also be a free game streamed every day during WUCC on the WFDF and Ultiworld YouTube channels, and the championship finals for each division of play on Saturday the 30th of July will also be available free.

WFDF Vice President and Ultimate Chair Brian Gisel (CAN) stated “As a worldwide community, subscription support can permit high-level streaming of our sport while also mitigating the production cost burden on the athletes, who to this point have indirectly been subsidizing the production costs as part of the tournament expense budget. Our hope is that viewership by ultimate enthusiasts around the world supports the growth of the core audience so that we can more cost-effectively cover our broadcasting efforts, and even increase the quality and number of games seen from each tournament.”

Ultiworld founder and editor-in-chief Charlie Eisenhood said, “Ultiworld is incredibly excited to partner with WFDF to embark on a new era of ultimate media. We will seek to provide the highest quality coverage of the World Ultimate Club Championships with an experienced production crew and a commitment to showcasing teams and players from around the world.”

The commentating team, led by managing editor Tom Styles (GBR), includes an all-star line-up of ultimate luminaries, including Hannah Pendlebury (GBR), Evan Lepler (USA), Liam Grant (IRL), Katie Killebrew (USA), Theo Wan (CAN), Robyn Fennig (USA), Tyler Byrum (USA), Claire Babbott-Bryan (USA), and a surprise guest or two on the microphone during the week-long tournament. 

WFDF Executive Producer Tim Rockwood noted that “We’re fortunate to partner with Ultiworld and their world-class team of ultimate production professionals. Every member of the commentating team is an accomplished storyteller who is well versed in our sport and gifted on the microphone.”

Live-streaming and VOD access will be available to subscribers to Ultiworld. Ultiworld subscriptions with live-streaming access starting at $12.99 per month (cancelable at any time), or $129.99 annually (with two months free), which includes not only WUCC video access but also makes all of its premium content available. In the future we hope to offer event-only packages.