The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has announced a sweeping overhaul of the sport’s global calendar from 2027, unveiling a revamped World Tour structure, increased prize money and new competition formats aimed at expanding badminton’s international reach.
The changes follow the extension of BWF’s long-term broadcast and commercial partnership with Infront through to 2034, which underpins the federation’s push to modernise the sport and strengthen its commercial appeal.
At the heart of the reforms is a redesigned BWF World Tour featuring 36 tournaments across a six-tier structure. The calendar will include the season-ending World Tour Finals, five Super 1000 tournaments, five Super 750 events, nine Super 500 tournaments, eight Super 300 events and eight Super 100 tournaments. Super 100 events will be integrated into the main World Tour for the first time.
A key change is the expansion of Super 1000 tournaments from four to five. These elite events, to be staged across Asia and Europe, will adopt a new format in singles, with 48 players competing in a group stage followed by knockout rounds, while doubles competitions will feature 32-pair knockout draws. Each Super 1000 tournament will be played over 11 days across two weekends, with all matches produced for global broadcast.
BWF confirmed that total annual prize money across the World Tour will rise to approximately USD 26.9 million. Under the new structure, Super 1000 tournaments will offer a minimum of USD 2 million, while Super 750 events will carry USD 1.1 million. Prize money for Super 500, Super 300 and Super 100 tournaments will increase to USD 560,000, USD 290,000 and USD 140,000 respectively.
Broadcast coverage will also expand significantly, with the number of TV-produced matches more than doubling from 1,410 to around 3,000 annually. All Super 1000 tournaments will receive full live coverage, supported by upgraded production standards.
The BWF will also introduce changes to its major championships. From 2027, the World Championships will feature a group-stage phase followed by knockout rounds, ensuring every player competes in at least two matches. The Sudirman Cup Finals will expand to 24 teams from 2027, while the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals will follow from 2028.
Hosts for the revamped World Tour from 2027 to 2030 have been confirmed, although the venue for the World Tour Finals will be announced later. Among key calendar decisions, the All England Open will retain its Super 1000 status, ending speculation over a possible downgrade, while the Denmark Open has been elevated to the top tier.
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In India, the India Open has retained its Super 750 status and will continue to be staged in New Delhi, despite criticism over organisational standards earlier this year. However, the country’s overall presence on the World Tour has been reduced, with the Syed Modi International downgraded from Super 300 to Super 100 and Super 100 events in Odisha and Guwahati removed from the calendar.
BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul said the reforms were designed to meet the demands of a modern, global sport, while Secretary General Thomas Lund said the changes placed players at the centre of a future-ready competitive framework.
With increased prize money, expanded broadcast coverage and a restructured calendar, the 2027 reforms mark a significant shift in the BWF’s strategy as it seeks to strengthen badminton’s position on the global sporting stage.
New badminton prize money across all BWF tiers:
- Super 1000: $2,000,000 (up from $1,450,000 in 2026)
- Super 750: $1,100,000 (up from $950,000)
- Super 500: $560,000 (up from $500,000)
- Super 300: $290,000 (up from $250,000)
- Super 100: $140,000 (up from $120,000)
