FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ING New York City Marathon Returns to Live National TV in 2012 as Part of
Five-Year Deal with ESPN/WABC-TV
ESPN2 to Televise Live Race Coverage Beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET
Marathon-Day Coverage to Include Live Five-Hour Local Show on WABC-TV and
Two-Hour National Highlight Show on ABC
New York, January 9, 2012-The ING New York City Marathon will be shown on
live national television in 2012 for the first time in almost 20 years as
the cornerstone of a new comprehensive year-round national and local
five-year television package jointly announced today by WABC-TV/ESPN and
NYRR officials. The Marathon will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 and
available through WatchESPN from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET/6:00 to 9:30
a.m. PT, and in New York on WABC-TV and 7online.com from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. That same afternoon, ABC will broadcast nationally a two-hour Marathon
highlight show. The agreement begins with this year's event on Sunday,
November 4.
The unprecedented partnership will also feature coverage of ING New York
City Marathon weekend events and other marquee NYRR races throughout the
year, as well as quarterly public service announcements on WABC-TV that
highlight NYRR's efforts to encourage running as part of a child's healthy
lifestyle. The deal reunites NYRR with ABC, which carried the first live
national broadcast of the Marathon in 1981 and where it aired until 1993.
"The ING New York City Marathon is one of the greatest spectacles in all of
sport, and today's announcement is a huge step forward in bringing all of
the event's passion and excitement into homes, live, across the country,"
said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of NYRR and race director of the
ING New York City Marathon.
"We're thrilled that for the first time in almost 20 years, a nationwide
audience can experience the 26.2 exhilarating miles that combine the
spectacle of great racing with the triumphant celebration of the human
spirit-a captivating drama starring more than 47,000 runners, including the
world's best, played out on the vibrant streets of New York City," said
Wittenberg. "The scope of this agreement, which also showcases the events
surrounding the Marathon as well as other marquee NYRR races throughout the
year, is a significant step forward as we seek to develop and promote our
sport."
Dave Davis, president and general manager of WABC-TV, said, "As New York's
number one station we are proud to be the home of New York's biggest
sporting event. It's great to have the ING New York City Marathon back
where it belongs and in a way that more people than ever before will be
able to see it. We also look forward to helping NYRR spread its message
about the health benefits of running to all New Yorkers."
John Wildhack, ESPN's executive vice president of program acquisitions and
strategy, said, "From all over the world runners come to New York to
participate in one of road racing's signature events. Working with our
partner and New York affiliate WABC-TV, we will provide sports fans with
first-class coverage of the ING New York City Marathon and showcase the
athleticism and heart of its competitors live on our national platforms."
The ESPN2 telecast will be the centerpiece of a robust schedule of
programming. The 26.2-mile race annually draws the world's top professional
runners, a field of more than 45,000 participants from all 50 states and
more than 125 countries, and 2.5 million spectators against the backdrop of
all five boroughs of New York City, while raising tens of millions of
dollars for charity and having an economic impact of more than $340
million. In addition to the telecast, the event will be available online at
WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.
Programming will begin with a two-hour pre-race show from 7:00–9:00 a.m. on
WABC-TV. All of WABC-TV's local coverage will be streamed on its website,
7online.com, and on authenticated mobile devices.
WABC-TV's commitment includes coverage of several NYRR events surrounding
the ING New York City Marathon Road to the Finish, including Marathon
Opening Day in April and the Marathon Opening Ceremony featuring the Parade
of Nations on Friday, November 2, as well as a half-hour Countdown preview
show on Marathon Eve, Saturday, November 3.
A combination of live and tape-delayed coverage of select NYRR marquee
events throughout the year is also part of the extensive broadcast package,
including the NYC Half on March 18 and the Fifth Avenue Mile in September.
IMG will continue to be the production company of the Marathon telecast as
well as other NYRR programs and events in the deal.
New York Road Runners
Headquartered in New York City, New York Road Runners is dedicated to
advancing the sport of running, enhancing health and fitness for all and
meeting our community's needs. Our goal is to use the expertise acquired in
our 53-year history to empower all people to live fitter, healthier lives
through participation in our races, community events, instruction and
training resources and youth programs. Our races and other events draw more
than 300,000 people each year. The ING New York City Marathon, NYRR's
premier event, is the largest and most inclusive marathon in the world,
attracting the world's top professional runners every year and raising $34
million for charity in 2011. NYRR's running-based youth programs, which
currently serve more than 100,000 children in hundreds of schools and
community centers, promote children's health and fitness, character
development and personal achievement in underserved communities. For more
information, visit www.nyrr.org.
The ING New York City Marathon
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon
is one of the world's great road races, drawing some 140,000 applicants.
The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the
$650,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media
capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and a worldwide
broadcast reach of 330 million. As any one of the more than 923,000 past
finishers will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of
the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit
INGnycmarathon.org.
WABC-TV
WABC-TV has been the leader in local news and entertainment programming in
the New York City area for more than 60 years. Producing more than 41 hours
of live, local news and weather each week, Channel 7 Eyewitness News is the
most watched local news in New York and the United States. WABC-TV also
produces LIVE! with Kelly, weekdays at 9:00 a.m., which is seen in more
than 200 markets across the U.S. Quality news and programming, cutting edge
technology and ongoing community outreach...a commitment to excellence that
has consistently kept WABC-TV New York's #1 station and the most watched
television station in the nation.
ESPN
ESPN, Inc., is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports
entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia
sports assets. The company is comprised of eight 24-hour domestic
television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN
Deportes, ESPN 3D and the regionally focused Longhorn Network) and five HD
simulcast services (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes). Other
businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (48
networks, syndication, radio, websites, mobile, apps), ESPN Radio
(broadcast, satellite, online and apps, a growing category led by
ScoreCenter), ESPN.com (plus a variety of sport-, college- and
market-specific sites), ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPNHS and
espnW. Multi-screen offerings include WatchESPN (access to several ESPN
networks online and via an app) and ESPN3 (live multi-screen network
available online, on the go and via Xbox LIVE). Based in Bristol, Conn.,
ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of
The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest
in ESPN.
###
|
