FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ESPN and WCVB Channel 5 Named Exclusive Broadcast Partners
for the Boston Marathon
ESPN Named Exclusive National Television & Streaming Partner; WCVB
Channel 5 to be Exclusive Year-Round Local Television & Streaming Partner
for Boston Marathon & All B.A.A. Events
BOSTON-The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today that ESPN
and WCVB Channel 5 will serve as the exclusive national and local broadcast
partners, respectively, for the Boston Marathon beginning in 2023. WCVB
will also provide exclusive year-round coverage for all B.A.A. events
including the B.A.A. 5K, B.A.A. 10K, and B.A.A. Half Marathon.
"We're honored to partner with ESPN and WCVB Channel 5, respected market
leaders who bring a spirit of innovation and thoughtful storytelling that
will propel the mission of the B.A.A. and legacy of the world's oldest
annual marathon forward," said Jack Fleming, acting Chief Executive Officer
of the B.A.A. "Both have established a tradition of broadcasting
world-class athletic events, and we are excited to build on this tradition
together into the future."
"The Boston Marathon is one of the world's most recognizable and best-known
sporting events and we're proud to be able to bring it to ESPN viewers for
years to come," said Burke Magnus, President, Programming and Original
Content, for ESPN. "We look forward to working with the B.A.A. and WCVB to
present the stories and athletic achievements of this classic race."
"The B.A.A. and the Boston Marathon are esteemed around the world and
beloved by our community, and to be launching this exclusive partnership as
WCVB marks 50 years in broadcasting and service to the community is
especially fitting," said Kyle I. Grimes, WCVB Channel 5 President and
General Manager. "WCVB has a proud history of covering the market's marquee
events, and the Boston Marathon is the perfect addition to Channel 5's
signature, local programming. We also look forward to working with the
B.A.A. year-round to highlight their many other athletic events as well as
the great work they do in the community."
ESPN will broadcast the 127th Boston Marathon, scheduled to take place on
Monday, April 17, 2023, on its flagship channel from 8:30 a.m. ET until
1:00 p.m. ET. In addition, ESPN will also have coverage of the race within
SportsCenter before the live coverage and later in the day, as well as
coverage appearing on other ESPN shows and platforms.
Live coverage of the Boston Marathon will air on WCVB beginning at 4:00
a.m. ET through 8:00 p.m. ET. The race will be exclusively simulcast
regionally on WCVB Channel 5's Hearst Television owned sister-stations WMUR
(Manchester, NH), WMTW (Portland/Auburn, ME), and WPTZ (Burlington,
VT/Plattsburgh, NY). WCVB and all of its television partners will provide
coverage of the marathon on their digital platforms and mobile apps. The
Boston Marathon will also be live streamed on Very Local Boston, and the
streaming platform will host year-round content featuring the B.A.A. WCVB
will also serve as the first-ever exclusive broadcast partner for the
B.A.A.'s Distance Medley races and will provide year-round coverage of the
B.A.A. and its races, with a focus on the Boston Marathon.
The partnership marks the return of the Boston Marathon to both ESPN and
WCVB, with ESPN having aired the world's most prestigious road race in the
early 1980's and then from 1997-2004. WCVB provided wire-to-wire coverage
of the marathon from 1982 through 2006, including the largest Boston
Marathon in history-the centennial Boston Marathon in 1996 featured 35,868
finishers.
ESPN annually televises other endurance events including the TCS New York
City Marathon, NCAA Division I Indoor & Outdoor Track and Field
Championships, NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, the American
Track League, the Penn Relays and various collegiate track & field meets.
The field size for the 127th Boston Marathon has been established as 30,000
participants. Registration will take place over five days, September 12–16,
2022. The 2023 race marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic events
surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon, which will be honored and recognized
by the B.A.A.
The next B.A.A. event is the B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women's
Hospital on Sunday, June 26. Athletes can register online and compete with
Boston Marathon champions and Olympians. Media interested in covering the
2022 B.A.A. 10K may apply for credentials here.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The
Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with
international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York
City. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been
John Hancock. The 127th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on
Monday, April 17, 2023. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit
www.baa.org.
ABOUT ESPN
ESPN, Inc., is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports
entertainment brand, featuring an unmatched portfolio of sports assets. It
is comprised of eight U.S. 24-hour television networks (ESPN, ESPN2,
ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, Longhorn Network, SEC Network and the ACC
Network; five with HD simulcast services – ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and
ESPN Deportes). Other businesses include direct-to-consumer video service
ESPN+, ESPN Audio (broadcast, satellite, digital, podcasts), an array of
digital services (ESPN.com and many other sites, ESPN App, fantasy games
and more), multi-screen ESPN3, ESPN International (26 networks,
syndication, radio, digital), consumer products, ESPN Events and espnW.
Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an
indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Hearst holds a 20 percent
interest in ESPN.
ABOUT WCVB CHANNEL 5
WCVB is Boston's broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather,
sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including
WCVB Channel 5, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community
leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with
quality local content. In addition to 47 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage
each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation's longest
running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and
On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. The station has been honored
with numerous prestigious national broadcasting honors including the RTDNA
Edward R. Murrow Awards for "Best Newscast" and National Association of
Broadcasters Education Foundation's "Service to the Community" award.
Additional top honors include the National Headliner Awards, Gracie Awards,
Gabriel Awards, the regional Emmy's, Associated Press Awards, Walter
Cronkite Award, and duPont Awards. WCVB, Boston's ABC affiliate station, is
owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading
media company whose global holdings include 33 television stations and two
radio stations. Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and Twitter (@wcvb).
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