Global governing body unveils major cloud migration with Alibaba and extends US broadcast partnership with NBC, following end of Singapore 2025
With the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore now concluded – where Australia surged to medal table dominance and stars like Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky lit up the lanes – World Aquatics has moved quickly to cement its digital and broadcast strategies ahead of Los Angeles 2028.
The international federation has announced two new deals: a global technology partnership with Alibaba Cloud, which will fully migrate its core systems to the cloud for the first time; and a media rights extension with NBC Sports, securing US coverage of its top-tier events through 2028.
Alibaba Cloud powers full digital transformation
In a first for an international sport governing body, World Aquatics will shift all of its operations – including digital platforms, athlete services, and data infrastructure – to Alibaba Cloud under a strategic partnership running from 2025 to 2028.
Alibaba Cloud will provide cloud computing, AI services, and infrastructure for World Aquatics’ ecosystem, including the launch of a new General Management System (GMS), a mobile app, and a customer data platform tailored to fans, athletes, and federations.
“This is a significant step forward for World Aquatics,” said President Husain Al Musallam. “Alibaba Cloud brings not only global cloud coverage and proven technical expertise, but also a great understanding of the demands of international sport on digital platforms.”
Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said the partnership would “create new opportunities to elevate the aquatic sports experience” for all stakeholders, from federations to fans.
The initiative aligns with the federation’s vision of building “a world united by water” and reflects a wider shift among sports bodies to future-proof operations via digital infrastructure and cloud-native services.
NBC Sports extends rights through to LA28
In a separate announcement, World Aquatics confirmed a multi-year renewal of its US media rights deal with NBC Sports, brokered by global agency SPORTFIVE.
The agreement ensures coverage of all flagship events, including the World Aquatics Championships, Swimming World Cup, and 2027 Worlds in Budapest, across NBC and Peacock platforms through 2028.
The deal is designed to build momentum ahead of Los Angeles 2028, where aquatic sports are expected to feature prominently in Team USA’s medal ambitions. NBC Sports will continue its Olympic programming lead-in with consistent year-round coverage of elite-level aquatics.
“We are delighted to extend our valued partnership with NBC Sports,” Al Musallam said. “This agreement ensures broad and consistent exposure for our athletes and events, including the 2027 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest — a key milestone on the road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.”
NBC Sports SVP Joe Gesue added: “Our long-standing relationship with World Aquatics is core to our mission of telling the stories of the world’s greatest athletes… We are excited about sharing many more on the road to LA28.”
For a sport increasingly defined by real-time data, streaming engagement, and digitally connected fans, the combination of Alibaba’s cloud backbone and NBC’s storytelling reach places aquatic sports in a strong position for the next Olympic cycle and beyond.
