This collaboration sets rowing's course towards the inaugural Olympic Esports Games

LAUSANNE, Switzerland and NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- World Rowing, the international governing body of the sport of Rowing, today announced a multi-year agreement with Ergatta, the leaders in game-based fitness. Under the agreement, Ergatta has become the preferred partner for World Rowing's gaming and Esports initiatives. In collaboration with hardware partner Concept2, Ergatta will support installations and competitions in major events, including the Versa Challenge Finals, the Virtual Sports Forum co-hosted with the Japan Sports Council, and the World Rowing Championships.

World Rowing will organise Esports competitions powered by Ergatta's software, leveraging the excitement and mainstream appeal of gaming to promote the benefits of Indoor Rowing and healthy habits more generally. The partnership also positions both organisations for participation in the inaugural Olympic Esports Games, set to take place in 2027, as announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"We are thrilled to partner with World Rowing— it's a beautiful combination of old and new," said Tom Aulet, CEO of Ergatta. "Gamified sports and fitness have massive potential to help people excel, compete, and develop lasting healthy habits. This partnership represents a major step forward in our mission to use games to help people stay physically active."

"Indoor/Connected Rowing has undergone a remarkable evolution from a training tool to a vibrant, global sport in its own right," said Vincent Gaillard, Executive Director of World Rowing. "We've been interested in gaming and Esports for a long time, specifically for its potential to cater for younger and more mainstream audiences. We are delighted to partner with Ergatta, who stood out to us as one of the clear leaders in a growing field of gamifying Rowing."

This unprecedented launch underscores the rising global prominence of virtual and gamified sports, as well as the power of gaming to make exercise and sport more appealing to new audiences.

The partnership with World Rowing, also solidifies Ergatta as the leader in gaming content development for Indoor Rowing and at-home fitness, and marks their official debut into the world of Esports. This announcement comes on the heels of Ergatta's partnership with iFIT, powering gaming experiences on their treadmills, bikes and rowers via their intelligent and personalised fitness content platform.

About Ergatta

Ergatta is the leader in gaming content for cardio equipment, offering a suite of addictive game-based workout experiences and a line of connected rowing machines with an embedded gaming experience. Ergatta's gaming content is personalized to the user, highly interactive and engaging, and designed to provide real workouts that drive results. Ergatta is dedicated to helping people build lasting fitness habits through games. For more information, visit Ergatta.com.

About World Rowing

World Rowing (previously named FISA (from the French, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron) is the governing body of the Olympic sport of Rowing. Empowered by its 159 member National Rowing Federations it sets the rules and regulations for the practice of the sport, in all its forms including Classic Rowing, Coastal Rowing, Connected/Indoor Rowing and Para-Rowing across grassroots, masters, and level. As part of its mandate, World Rowing oversees sanctioned events and provides advice and expertise for the organisation of Rowing regattas. The Federation also works on coaching education and other matters relating to the sport and its development. www.worldrowing.com  

Media Contacts
Ergatta
LJPR
media@ergatta.com
World Rowing
Brian Orsini, Head of Communications & Media
Brian.orsini@worldrowing.com

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SOURCE Ergatta