byLarry EderThe Armory NB Track & Field Center has given nearly 100,000 athletes a year a chance to run, jump and throw. Given the financial situation with many schools, indoor track & field is the sport for many kids in New York.
Jenny Simpson, 2011 NB Games, photo by PhotoRun.net
The Millrose Games will be sold out in the Armory, with an SRO crowd of probably 4,500. The Millrose Games will have some fantastic fields and some real chances at records. They are also now building for the future, making a deal with YouTube SPORTS, for track & field coverage of their events for years to come. The good news is that young fans will have a chance to see the meet.
Face it, for sports marketers to make their dollars, get their eyeballs, terrestrial TV is still the way to go. You Tube focuses on 17-35 year olds like bees on honey. Young adults live on You Tube. It is a way to build into the future. And it looks like they have invested in a film crew and producer who understands the needs of sports TV in this day and age. One camera showing runners pass the finish line will not do it.
The Millrose Games, far from going away, is now investing in the future. At this time, terrestrial TV ( ESPN, ESPN2) has the reach and pull to gain viewers. You Tube Sports will become a player down the road, as more and more young viewers watch sporting events from their Iphone and androids.
The Millrose, for the traditionalists, will change. Perhaps, that was needed to shake things up. We are all looking to see how the Millrose does in its new home.
Armory Foundation and YouTube Sports Announce Multi-Year Agreement –
NEW YORK, January 30, 2012 – The Armory Foundation has announced a
multi-year agreement with YouTube Sports to air its track & field
season. The highlight will be a live HD production of the 2012 Millrose
Games at the Armory beginning at 4 p.m. February 11, 2012 and ending
with the famous Wanamaker Mile sponsored by the New York Road Runners at
10 p.m.
“The Armory’s YouTube channel (YouTube.com/ArmoryTrack)
will give track fans nationally and around the world the opportunity to
see every moment of the Millrose Games live and uninterrupted for the
first time,” reported Armory Executive Director Norbert Sander. “In the
modern sports age, information and entertainment must be instantaneous
to remain relevant and as a part of Google’s recent investment in
YouTube Sports Channels, Armory Track will be a major player in the new
digital world of track & field.”
The Millrose Games presentation will be directed by Steve Ulrich,
former member of the NBC Olympic production team, and will be
commentated by Dwight Stones and Tim Hutchings, two of the best known
specialists in the sport.
“The YouTube Sports Channels are clearly the direction of the future,”
emphasized Sander, “giving track fans live coverage, archived follow-up
and multiple options for viewing on home televisions as well. The
potential for vast propagation during and in the weeks after the event
expands the reach of our sport to new fans and the general public in a
fashion that is crucial to exposing track & field to millions of
viewers, especially our younger generation. The YouTube position is
clearly worldwide. With YouTube actively promoting the live event on it
site more people will be exposed to track and field than ever before.”
The Millrose Games can be seen live on YouTube.com/ArmoryTrack and
ArmoryTrack.com on February 11th, beginning at 4 p. m. The feature
section of the meet begins at 6:45 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.armorytrack.com . Click on to
Millrose Games for more information, including ticket prices and seating
chart. Note: there is an 8 ticket limit for online sales. For group
sales of more than 8 tickets please call the Group Sales at (818)
276-6790 (818-ARMORY-0).
For more information on the Millrose Games, click to
www.millrose-games.org.
CREDENTIALS FOR THE MILLROSE GAMES: Members of the media must go to
http://www.armorytrack.com/credential/Create. Please fill out the form. Deadline to sign up for the Millrose Games is 5 p.m., Feb. 7.
ABOUT THE ARMORY FOUNDATION:
A New York City non-profit, the Armory will be the proud home of the
Millrose Games beginning in 2012. With more than 100 additional indoor
track & field meets, the Armory will welcome over 125,000 individual
athletes. Besides its many youth sports and educational programs, the
Armory runs the Hispanic Games, the New Balance Games, and the New
Balance Collegiate Invitational, the largest indoor college meet in the
United States. The Armory is also the home to the National Track &
Field Hall of Fame
