**Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Joins Forces with E1 Electric Speedboat Racing Series in Ambitious Global Push**
The worlds of elite sport and entertainment are set to collide, as Jay-Z’s internationally renowned Roc Nation Sports International enters into a strategic partnership with the E1 Championship, an innovative all-electric speedboat racing competition. Both parties are heralding the move as a significant step towards increasing the sport’s visibility and expanding its fan base well beyond traditional motorsport enthusiasts.
The E1 electric speedboat series, which began racing in earnest in 2024, is currently powering through its second competitive season. The championship has already attracted a high-profile roster of team owners, including such superstars as tennis legend Rafael Nadal, Hollywood actor Will Smith, American football icon Tom Brady, and Indian cricket hero Virat Kohli. Their collective involvement has already added a significant degree of glamour and curiosity to the burgeoning sport.
Roc Nation Sports International, a division of Jay-Z’s wider entertainment empire, boasts an impressive clientele of global sports icons in its own right, counting the likes of Brazilian football talent Vinicius Jr, Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, and South African rugby captain Siya Kolisi amongst its stable of stars. By affiliating itself with E1, Roc Nation is aiming to inject a fresh cultural narrative into the world of electric speedboat racing.
Michael Yormark, President of Roc Nation Sports, expressed enthusiasm for the alliance, highlighting that E1 offers a unique convergence of athletic spectacle, sustainable innovation, and cultural evolution. “What E1 offers goes beyond racing on water,” he remarked, noting the wider values of sustainability and societal change that the series seeks to represent. Roc Nation’s creative team hopes to propel the sport’s story to untapped audiences, utilising its global resources and reach to promote E1 as both an athletic and lifestyle movement.
The current E1 season is already underway, with events having taken place across a raft of international locations – among them Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Croatia. The calendar is set to continue with further stops in Italy, follows with prestigious destinations such as Monaco, Nigeria, and the United States still lying ahead. According to the 2025 standings, Aoki Racing Team has achieved a narrow lead, followed by Team Rada and Team Brady. Notably, British racer Sam Coleman currently competes under the banner of Team Brady, adding another layer of international flavour to the proceedings.
The collaboration is being widely viewed as a mutually beneficial relationship. Roc Nation brings its proven expertise in brand development, athlete promotion, and audience engagement, while E1 offers the technical innovation and sporting excitement that are key ingredients in capturing the attention of a new generation of fans.
Rodi Basso, founder of the E1 Series, has described the agreement as transformative, believing that Roc Nation’s knowledge of global marketing and culture is exactly what the competition needs to expand its horizons. “Our series already benefits from cutting-edge technology and world-class talent,” Basso explained, “but Roc Nation’s ability to reach audiences who haven’t yet discovered E1 is what could truly set us apart.” He went on to emphasise that the partnership is founded not merely on commercial potential, but on a shared vision for sporting evolution and sustainability.
Industry observers have noted that this partnership reflects a wider trend of cross-pollination between entertainment brands and sports initiatives—particularly those focused on environmental responsibility and new technologies. E1’s emphasis on eco-friendly racing aligns with Roc Nation’s growing interests in supporting impactful, future-oriented sports.
With the rest of the 2025 season offering prime opportunities for showcase and storytelling, expectations are high for how this collaboration might reshape both the image and popularity of electric speedboat racing. Both organisations are hoping to lure a diverse, intercontinental following to a sport that is as fast-paced and unpredictable as its celebrity backers.
As the E1 series gains momentum, all eyes will be on whether this fusion of entertainment and engineering can turn a niche sustainability project into a genuine global phenomenon—ushering in a new chapter for water-based motorsports.