The New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced an agreement with ESPN and ABC for a first-of-its-kind, year-round broadcast partnership that will televise its benchmark races, such as the New York City Marathon, NYC Half Marathon, 5th Avenue Mile, and the New York Mini 10K nationally as well as locally for the next three years.
“New York Road Runners is excited to grow our partnership with ABC7/WABC-TV and ESPN as the appetite for running content continues to grow out of the post-pandemic running boom,” New York Road Runners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer said. “This is a significant expansion of our long-standing relationship that will increase the visibility of New York Road Runners’ year-round races and events like the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile and New York Mini 10K, in addition to the TCS New York City Marathon, the best day in New York City.”
ABC and ESPN2 have televised the New York City Marathon since 2013 but this year, the Nov. 3 race day will also introduce a live two-hour show from the finish line which will air nationally on ABC Network. Along with the professional runners and Olympians, the show will also celebrate celebrities and the tens of thousands of “everyday runners,” who complete the race.
“The TCS New York City Marathon represents the heart and soul of New York City and is one of the most spirited days of the year to be part of,” John Suchenski, senior director of programming & acquisitions at ESPN, said. “We are thrilled to continue to work with New York Road Runners and WABC to showcase the powerful stories and remarkable athleticism of this extraordinary event to a national audience, as well as expanding our coverage to showcase New York Road Runners’ other events throughout the year.”
The NYC Half Marathon has also been broadcast on the networks since 2013, but ABC will introduce coverage of the 5th Avenue Mile — a one-mile race down Manhattan’s famed shopping street — that will feature a live televised broadcast and pre-race Eyewitness News Features locally on ABC. The race will air nationally on ESPN+.
The New York Mini 10K, which is the world’s original women-only road race, includes a professional athlete live stream on digital platforms and live news cut-ins on ABC.
