Volleyball World has appointed the UK-based sports advisory firm, IRIS Sport Media, as its exclusive media distribution agency for Central and South America (excluding Brazil) and the Caribbean under a new long-term agreement.
This four-year deal, encompassing all media and digital coverage for both men`s and women`s events, includes rights for major tournaments such as the World Championships (2025-2027), Volleyball Nations League (VNL) (2025-2028), Club World Championships (2025-2028), Beach World Championships (2025-2027), and the Beach Pro Tour (Elite 16) (2025-2028).
Furthermore, IRIS will handle marketing for Italy`s top leagues: Lega Pallavolo Serie A (men`s) from the 2025/26 to 2028/29 seasons, and Lega Pallavolo Femminile Serie A (women`s) for the 2025/26 season.
Volleyball World is a commercial joint venture formed in 2021 by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.
Filippo Guidolin, Account Director at IRIS Sport Media, commented:
“We are thrilled to be appointed by Volleyball World as its exclusive agency for Central and South America and the Caribbean. Volleyball and beach volleyball are sports deeply rooted in IRIS`s passion. Leveraging our extensive experience in distributing volleyball rights and our strong regional presence, IRIS is committed to elevating the distribution of FIVB volleyball and beach volleyball events along with national leagues”
Felix von Knorring, Head of Media at Volleyball World, shared his positive outlook:
“We’re delighted to be partnering with IRIS to strengthen our presence across Latin America — a region with an incredibly passionate volleyball community and huge growth potential. This collaboration reflects our commitment to bringing the sport closer to fans and building long-term value for our partners across the region.”
The sport boasts a global fanbase of 800 million across indoor and beach volleyball. In 2023, Volleyball World secured third place overall among Olympic International Federations in the BCW Social Media Ranking and fourth for total followers across social media platforms, reaching nearly 16 million. The official YouTube channel also saw significant growth that year, with a 48% increase in subscribers, exceeding 3.2 million.
By September 2024, Volleyball World`s streaming platform, VBTV, had amassed 1.5 million members, demonstrating its rapid expansion as a primary source for volleyball content. Late last year, it was also announced that the VNL would expand from 16 to 18 competing nations, and the weekly event format would change from two pools of 8 teams to three pools of 6 teams.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick