World Athletics has announced an ‘extended and enhanced’ media rights partnership with The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for all the events in the top-tier World Athletics Series.
The renewed agreement covers the World Athletics Championships and World Athletics Indoor Championships, and incorporates new developments in digital broadcast technology whilst offering opportunities for fans to watch athletics of their choice.
World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, commented: “We have had a long and fruitful partnership with the EBU and I’m delighted that this has been extended in an enhanced agreement that we believe will be game-changing for our sport.
“This is good news for our athletes and our fans as it will create more opportunities for everyone who loves our sport to watch it regularly, and more easily, and for new fans to fall in love with its undeniable magic. The EBU is ideally placed to help us to grow over the six years of this agreement.”
Based on four ‘main pillars’ – storytelling, digital, commercial and legacy/sustainability – the contract marks a 40-year partnership between World Athletics and the EBU.
Starting in 2024 and running until 2029, the new agreement covers European and African rights on all existing and non-existing platforms, via all distribution modes as well as non-exclusive radio rights.
Noel Curran, the EBU’s Director General, added: “The EBU will be World Athletics’ partner in implementing its Strategic Plan for the growth, inspiration and leadership of the sport.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with a packed, top-class athletics calendar ahead, this is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we believe only public service media are in a position to help develop and exploit fully, across all possible platforms.”
Under the renewed partnership, 29 EBU Members have now been confirmed for World Athletics events over the six-year span of the contract.
Furthermore, the company states that the new agreement includes opportunities for digital content distribution, with a joint commitment to create a documentary series about athletics, alongside live broadcasts on free-to-air TV of the tournaments.
Some of the World Athletics Series events that the agreement includes are; three World Athletics Championships, three World Athletics Road Running Championships, three World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships and three World Athletics Relays, to name a few.
