by Mike RowbottomThe Eugene WC 2022 is probably the one and only time in our lifetimes that track and field in the US has a real chance to become a major sport again in the United States.
Inside the Games did an exclusive story on the working meetings between World Athletics and NBC. The piece was written by Mike Rowbottom, one of our favorite writers on the world of sports.
Mondo Duplantis, photo by Diamond League AG
World Athletics plans to maximize the nationwide appeal of this summer’s World Championships in Oregon have moved a stage nearer to completion following a meeting in New York between the federation’s chief executive, Jon Ridgeon, and the broadcaster which has rights to the event.
Speaking to insidethegames shortly after flying back from his three-day trip, Ridgeon offered a glimpse of the ideas currently being discussed to ensure the first United States staging of this contest stimulates growth in the sport, which he said was “one of the core reasons” why the Championships were awarded to Oregon in 2015.
“The World Championships in Oregon this year are really important to us so we have spent a long time with NBC planning their coverage and how, hopefully, we can use Oregon22 as a catalyst to grow athletics in the United States,” Ridgeon said.
“It seems that the United States produces the strongest teams in most years, but we all feel the sport should be bigger in the States than it is.
“NBC are a really important partner in this, and we are trying to use the Championships this year and the journey through to the Los Angeles 2028 Games to increase the profile of the sport in the States and also the fanbase.
“We are also working with agencies in America including USA Track and Field to generate ideas to connect athletes in the States with more people in the States.
“So this is a really important year for us – one of the core reasons the Championships were awarded to the United States was to try and use it as that catalyst for growth.
“Clearly with NBC, it’s about going beyond their event coverage and making sure we use athletes in their other programming strands so we connect their huge audience with athletes outside the usual athletics ‘bubble’.
“It’s about making sure that we introduce athletes and their great stories and the challenge of this summer to the widest possible audience.”
To see the story in its original form, please go to this link: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1122906/world-athletics-nbc-oregon22
