ITV have again landed the broadcast rights for this weekend’s second edition of The Hexagon Cup, offering UK padel fans the chance to watch free-to-air coverage.
The Hexagon Cup, which takes place in Madrid from Wednesday 29 January to Saturday 2 February, features some of the world’s leading sports stars as team owners. Krü Padel by Taktika, a team supported by football icons Sergio Agüero and Lionel Messi, are the most notable additions to this year’s tournament. They will face off against the likes of AD/vantage, co-owned by Andy Murray and Anthony Joshua, the Rafa Nadel Academy and fellow new entrants 10 Padel, led by Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly and entrepreneur Loïc Féry.
ITVX will live stream all matches from the tournament on Saturday and Sunday, while also producing a post-event highlights show that will air on ITV4. Viewers can create an ITVX account for free to access the live coverage.
The coverage follows the event’s successful launch in 2024, in which ITV became the first broadcaster to air padel on mainstream television.
Tim Godfrey, Strategic Advisor to the Hexagon Cup, commented: “ITV’s reach and reputation for top-tier sports coverage make them the ideal partner for bringing the Hexagon Cup to life for UK viewers. This renewed partnership strengthens our shared ambition to grow the sport and keep fans engaged with the action, not least in a nation that is renowned for loving its sport.”
Richard Botchway, ITV Assistant Sport Commissioner, added: “We’re excited to continue our partnership with the Hexagon Cup. It’s a unique addition to our sports offering and a great way for viewers to experience the energy and excitement of padel at the highest level.”
The tournament will adopt an innovative league format for its second outing, with the eight teams each playing eight games across the first four days of action. Each team will consist of a men’s team, a women’s team and a Next Gen team, all working together to reach Sunday’s final.
Each side will play three men’s and three women’s matches, earning two points for a win, while the Next Gen side will play two matches, adding one point to their team’s total for each victory. The two teams at the top of the table on Saturday night will advance to face off in a best-of-three format on Sunday to determine the winner of the tournament. Third and fourth place will also compete in a playoff to decide the final spot on the podium.
Next Gen matches will take place at the Crystal Pavilion, while men’s and women’s matches will be played at the Madrid Arena.
This season’s stars include top-ranked players such as Agustín Tapia and Ari Sánchez (RL9 Team), Arturo Coello (Team Bella Puerto Rico) and Paula Josemaría (ElevenEleven Team).
The highlights of a stacked day one card sees reigning champions Martín di Nenno and Juan Tello (AD/vantage) face off against Fede Chingotto and Momo González, representing newcomers Krü Padel. Ariana Sánchez and Lucía Sainz (RL9 Team) will also take on Martita Ortegaand Gemma Triay (Rafa Nadal Academy Team powered by Richard Mille).
