The Archery World Cup is a competition, started in 2006, organized by the World Archery Federation, where the archers compete in four different stages in four different countries and the best eight archers of each category (from 2010, four archers from 2006-09) advance to an additional stage to contest the Archery World Cup Final. This form of competition was introduced following the success of the 2003 World Archery Championships in New York and the 2004 Summer Olympics with the intent of making the sport more popular and attractive to the spectators, with the matches being held in 'spectacular' locations and the final matches being broadcast online. It has received plaudits for its innovative approach to the sport, raising its profile and reach.
From 2013, the World Cup is broadcast live on Eurosport. It carries sponsorship from Kia and Longines, which supports the annual Longines Prize of Precision for archery, for the "best male and female athletes that master bow and arrow through concentration, balance, accuracy, and skill".
In the World Cup Finals the prize money for the individual competitions in 2013 was:
For each individual World Cup stage, the prize money offered for individual competitions in 2013 was:
The following venues have hosted stages or the World Cup Final.
The host cities for 2018-19 will be Salt Lake City, Berlin, Antalya and Shanghai, with scheduling to be confirmed.
The Longines Prize for Precision is awarded to the male and female archers who shoot the most 10s over the course of the competition at the end of the season. It has been awarded since 2010 and is awarded to compound and recurve archers in alternate years. Winners receive a trophy, watch and cash prize of 5,000 CHF.