USA Track & Field Announces "Record" Coverage of Sport for 2007
Posted Monday, 22 January, 2007
Contact:
Jill Geer
Director of Communications
USA Track & Field
317-713-4663
INDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field today announced a 2007 TV lineup for the sport that boasts a surge in major network coverage, positioning in key time slots, and increased sponsor support.
The 2007 season will include at least nine over-the-air network exposures on NBC and CBS, 10 shows on ESPN/ESPN2, and more than 20 hours of coverage on Versus. The TV coverage will be augmented by unprecedented Internet coverage of the sport to be announced shortly. The enhanced media presence of the sport comes during a crucial year, as Team USA is selected for the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor Championships and prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
"We are thrilled that our best domestic and international meets will be featured on television in 2007," said USATF CEO Craig Masback, "The strength of our event lineup and recent ratings history helped us negotiate coverage that will appeal to both our core fan base and the broader sports audience, introducing many of them to our young stars who will make America proud the Olympics in Beijing in 2008."
Busy season on tap
Track and field's 2007 season will debut this weekend with ESPN2's coverage of the kickoff event of the Visa Championship Series, the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. USATF's premier, televised series of domestic track & field meets, the Visa Championship Series offers substantial prize money and bonuses for top performers.
The outdoor season will culminate with more than 25 hours of NBC and Versus coverage of the IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, in late August/early September. At the 2005 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, Team USA enhanced its legacy as the World's #1 Track & Field Team, setting a record for most gold medals, with 14, and matching their 2004 Olympic overall medal total with 25.
A history of success
USATF's domestic events have been featured in 88 TV shows since 2000, including 31 on NBC and CBS. The ratings story is an impressive one, with the over-the-air shows averaging a 2.0 rating (2.14 for the 24 NBC shows). On ESPN the story has been equally impressive, with overall ESPN2 ratings up over 30% in 2006, including two shows that recorded the highest-ever ratings for track programming on the network, shows that were also ESPN2's highest rated shows of the day.
As a result of the enhanced television presence of track & field, USATF's sponsors have increased their support of USA Track & Field and the Visa Championship Series.
"We appreciate the vote of confidence demonstrated by all of the sport's partners. Without the TV networks, our loyal sponsors Visa, Nike, AT&T, Hershey's, and Tyson Foods, and our great meets, including their sponsors adidas and Reebok, this groundbreaking exposure wouldn't be possible," said Masback.
What to watch for
Among the highlights of the 2007 season:
* Live coverage of the AT&T USA Indoor Championships in Boston and the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis - where the Team USA roster for the IAAF World Championships will be selected. The AT&T USA Outdoor Championships coverage will include four shows on NBC and ESPN2.
* Live and taped coverage on NBC and ESPN2 of the 100th Millrose Games early next month. The Millrose Games, which attracts the largest crowd of any indoor track meet in the world, is the longest-running continuously staged event in New York's Madison Square Garden and will feature many special "Centenary" events in 2007.
* Live coverage of the USA versus the World relay events at the Penn Relays on ESPN2. Last year's Penn Relays attracted a three-day crowd of over 114,000 spectators, including 49,000 on the day that top American relay teams took on the world's best.
* Live coverage on NBC of the Nike Prefontaine Classic from Eugene, Oregon, site of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials -- Track & Field in 2008.
"Our athletes have told us time and again that the best way for them to prepare to take on the world's best at the Osaka World Championships and Beijing Olympics is to have high-quality domestic competitions with significant prize money and wide public exposure. The Visa Championship Series and the TV lineup we announce today continues to provide the opportunities the athletes have been seeking," Masback added.
2007 Track on TV Schedule
(All times Eastern; subject to change; check local listings)
Indoor Visa Championship Series
Reebok Boston Indoor Games Jan. 28, 3:00 -5:00 PM, ESPN2
100th Millrose Games February 2, 7-9 p.m., ESPN2; February 3, 2-3 p.m., NBC
Tyson Invitational February 11, 1-3 p.m., ESPN2
AT&T USA Indoor Championships February 25, 4-6 p.m., ESPN2
Outdoor Visa Championship Series
USA vs. The World at Penn Relays April 28, 1-3 p.m., ESPN2
adidas Track Classic May 19, 5-7 p.m., ESPN
Reebok Grand Prix June 2, 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m., ESPN2; June 3, 1-2 p.m., CBS
Prefontaine Classic June 10, 4-6 p.m., NBC
AT&T USA Outdoor Championships
June 22, 8-9 p.m., ESPN2
June 23, 2-3 p.m., NBC
June 23, 7-8 p.m., ESPN2
June 24, 1-3 p.m., NBC
Additional coverage
IAAF World Outdoor Championships
August 26, 12:30-2:30, NBC
Sept. 1, 2-3:30, NBC
Sept. 2, 1-3, NBC
** Additional, daily coverage on Versus.
NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships ESPN/CBS, times and dates TBA
2007 Visa Championship Series event schedule
Indoor
January 27 Reebok Boston Indoor Games Boston
February 2 100th Millrose Games New York
February 9 Tyson Invitational Fayetteville, AR
February 24-25 AT&T USA Indoor Championships Boston
Outdoor
April 28 USA vs. The World at Penn Relays Philadelphia
May 19 adidas Track Classic Los Angeles
June 2 Reebok Grand Prix New York
June 10 Prefontaine Classic Eugene, OR
June 21-24 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships Indianapolis
For more information on the Visa Championship Series, visit www.visachampionshipseries.com
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