7/1/2025
Polo & Lifestyle
USPA Global and Global Polo Entertainment Extend Historic ESPN Relationship
Veteran ESPN Broadcaster Chris Fowler Hosted the Prestigious 2025 U.S. Open Polo Championship
Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), the entertainment subsidiary of USPA Global, has extended its historic relationship withESPN through 2026. USPA Global manages U.S. Polo Assn., the multi-billion-dollar global sports brand and the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA).
The relationship continues to build upon the landmark deal between GPE and ESPN, which brought the sport of polo to a massive global audience for the first time in 2022. Since that time, the exposure to the sport has extended to many parts of the world and millions of households across multiple platforms.
In 2025, ESPN will show fans the most prestigious tournament in North America, the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, as well as the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship®, and the Gauntlet of Polo®, all taking place on the U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium Field One, along with the Women’s and Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) games, in addition to other select international games. For game broadcasts and times, check your ESPN local listings.
Adding to the excitement of the 2025 polo season, veteran ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler will be on-site to host the 2025 U.S. Open Polo Championship on Sunday, April 20 in front of what is expected to be the largest crowd to ever watch the most prestigious tournament in North America. Fowler has been with ESPN for nearly 30 years, appearing on many of the network’s marquee properties, including hosting ESPN’s coverage of the Triple Crown horse races from 1998-2007.
Fowler is best known for his play-by-play for the company’s top college football game each week on ABC Saturday Night Football and SEC on ABC, where he works alongside analyst Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporter Holly Rowe. Over the years, the Emmy-winning commentator has also been the voice of ESPN’s Grand Slam tennis coverage and has hosted SportsCenter, College GameDay – including three Emmy wins for Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly while Fowler was at the helm, and men’s college basketball, including on-site NCAA Final Four coverage.
”I've been a fan of the sport of polo for years, and now I’m excited to be part of the genuine polo experience by hosting the U.S. Open Polo Championship in front of what is expected to be the largest crowd to ever watch the pinnacle of the sport in North America,” said Fowler about his new role. ”I have provided commentary on so many great games and athletes, and now I will be able to speak about an entirely different kind of athlete alongside their equine partners in this thrilling game of speed and precision.”
“I’m also proud to be able to share this unique sport with the greater ESPN audience and give it the exposure it deserves as a competitive and skill-driven sport,” Fowler added.
The multi-faceted relationship will again bring the finals of the top North American polo events to ESPN platforms, with game distribution on ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN.com, and on-demand on the ESPN App.
“The USPA continues to work closely with ESPN and credits this amazing relationship with attracting an entirely new generation of sports fans to the exciting world of polo,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global, which oversees the worldwide, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “The addition of Chris Fowler to the U.S. Open Polo Championship broadcast team is a credit to the success of this groundbreaking relationship and serves to further drive the global momentum of the sport around the world.”
“We believe Chris aligns with the tradition, sophistication, passion, and global reach of our sport!” added Prince.
By broadcasting many of the top polo tournaments in the world annually since 2022, including the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, the XII Federation of International Polo (FIP) Championship®, and the Paris Games Polo Challenge, the sport of polo has reached an entirely new and thriving audience on ESPN. The extension with ESPN will continue to bring more exposure to polo.
In conjunction with the games, ESPN will once again distribute multiple 25-minute made-for-television shows produced by GPE. The award-winning show “Breakaway: Presented by U.S. Polo Assn.” serves as a behind-the-scenes look into the lives and careers of polo players and horses from around the world and will include “Breakaway” episodes such as “Polo in the Palm Beaches,” “Women in Polo,” “Polo in College” and “Polo in the England,” to name a few. Included in extended media distribution, these episodes will also air on StarSports,beIN Sports, and Times of India.
“The USPA is delighted with the long-term vision of the ESPN relationship and with the recognition, polo is receiving from a new fan base around the world by watching polo on ESPN,” said Stewart Armstrong, Chairman of the USPA. “We are anticipating another highly competitive season driven by the partnership of superior athletes, both the players and their equine partners, competing in the Gauntlet of Polo® series right here at the newly renovated USPA National Polo Center (NPC) – Wellington.”
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2025 U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final Concludes
American High-Goal Season, Supported by U.S. Polo Assn.
Heart-Pounding Father-Son Rivalry Game to Broadcast on ESPN April 26-27,
Hosted by Legendary Commentator Chris Fowler
The 2025 U.S. Open Polo Championship®, played at the USPA National Polo Center (NPC) in Palm Beach County, showcased top-tier polo action from March 26 to April 20 and ended this Sunday with a thrilling Final win by La Dolfina Tamera over La Dolfina Catamount in a score of 12-8 in front of a record crowd.
Watch the U.S. Open Polo Championship on ESPN
Hosted by legendary ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler, the U.S. Open Polo Championship Final was played on the U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium Field, in front of an electric crowd. The game will be broadcast to a large global audience across multiple ESPN platforms, including ESPN2 on Saturday, April 26, at 10:30 AM EDT, as well as Primetime on ESPNews on Sunday, April 27. Check your local listing for air times.
U.S. Polo Assn. Supports the Sport and Equine Charities
As the sport’s most prestigious tournament in North America, the U.S. Open Polo Championship features some of the world’s best polo players and equine athletes. Once again, the tournament was supported by U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), with U.S. Polo Assn. branded jerseys for teams, NPC staff uniforms, umpire outfitting, player prizes, and monetary donations to several local charities. Throughout the season, the global, sport-inspired brand has donated some $25,000 to polo charities and equine welfare, among others, including Homes for Horses Coalition, Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, Polo for Life, Polo Players Support Group, Polo Pony Rescue, Polo Training Foundation, Replay Polo, Retired Racehorse Project, Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, and Work to Ride Program.
“U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to once again support the U.S. Open Polo Championship, broadcast on ESPN platforms as one of the top sporting events of the Spring season alongside the Masters and Kentucky Derby,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global, the company that manages and markets the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “It’s an honor to have legendary ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler as the host this year, alongside Kenny Rice and Adam Snow, bringing more access and awareness to the sport of polo as we continue to reach more and more sports fans and consumers around the world.”
An Electric Game Watched Live by a Record-Breaking Crowd
Thousands of fans at NPC witnessed the action-packed final game of the Gauntlet of Polo® tournament series, which included the C.V. Whitney Cup®, the USPA Gold Cup®, and the U.S. Open Polo Championship. In a year that delivered record-breaking crowds week in and week out, the thrilling final was filled with great plays from the world’s best players on both teams, La Dolfina Tamera featuring 10-goal player Adolfo Cambiaso; Diego Cavanagh; Matt Coppola; and Alejandro Poma, and La Dolfina Catamount featuring 10-goal player Poroto Cambiaso; Jesse Bray; Rufino Merlos and Scott Devon. For the second year in a row, the U.S. Open Polo Championship Final presented an epic showdown between two of the world’s top polo players who are also father and son.
Adolfo, age 50, who has been defeated in the last two U.S. Open Finals, the last one being to his son, Poroto, age 19, reclaimed victory in this game to take home his 10th U.S. Open title. It was just this week that Adolfo turned 50, thus reclaiming the championship trophy as his perfect birthday present. Adolfo is considered the best polo player in history, having also won more than 17 titles in the Argentine Open Polo Championship, and is considered the “Greatest of All Time (GOAT)” beside other sports icons such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady.
Adolfo Cambiaso, Age 50, Defeats Son Poroto Cambiaso, Age 19, Wins Back Trophy
La Dolfina Catamount came out strong at the beginning of chukker 1, but La Dolfina Tamera soon took the momentum and kept the game close. The score was tied at 6-6 after the 3rd chukker. After some clutch goals by Poma in chukkers 3,4, and 5 and an impressive long goal from Adolfo, Tamera continued to have the lead. Though Poroto scored an incredible 5 goals overall, and Bray scored in the 6th and final chukker, both of Catamount, to bring it to 11-8, there just wasn’t enough time for a comeback. Tamera clinched their win with a thrilling goal by Coppola to make the final score 12-8. La Dolfina Tamera’s Poma won MVP, scoring a team-high 4 goals, with Adolfo scoring 3 goals.
“Congratulations to La Dolfina Tamera on a remarkable victory in the U.S. Open Polo Championship,” said Stewart Armstrong, Chairman of the USPA. “I would also like to thank and acknowledge all participating teams throughout the 2025 Season at NPC for leaving it all on the field for the sport.”
“Thank you to all of our patrons, players, sponsors, and sports fans for their passion and support for the sport of polo and the USPA this season,” Armstrong added.
The USPA National Polo Center, the Winter Equestrian Capital of the World
Guests at NPC, the world’s premier polo facility based in Palm Beach County, watched the action-packed match from many luxurious settings, including the sidelines, stadium boxes, tailgate tents, the grandstands, as well as from the U.S. Polo Assn. MVP Lounge, home to the iconic Sunday Polo Brunch. Sports fans also had exclusive on-site shopping opportunities at the flagship USPA Shop location, where limited-edition sport-luxury pieces in The Polo Club Collection and the U.S. Polo Assn. Global Collection were available for fans wanting to take home a piece of the sport of polo. New this year included a 4ocean branded custom-designed bracelet, an element of the longstanding partnership between the two brands, with 4Ocean being the Official Recycling Partner of the 2025 U.S. Open Polo Championship.
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