FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York Road Runners, WABC-TV, and ESPN Extend TCS New York City Marathon
Broadcast Partnership Through 2022
2018 race to be televised on Sunday, November 4, locally on ABC7 and
nationally outside of the NYC area on ESPN2 for sixth consecutive year
ESPN commentators John Anderson and Sage Steele lead announce team
featuring nationally and locally recognized commentators, reporters, and
analysts, including the broadcasting debut of U.S. Olympic gold medalist
Matthew Centrowitz
Race coverage will be available in 650 million homes around the world
New York, October 30, 2018-New York Road Runners (NYRR), WABC-TV, and ESPN
have extended their partnership to broadcast the TCS New York City Marathon
through the 2022 event. WABC-TV and ESPN has been home to the award-winning
broadcast of the world's largest marathon since 2013.
"We are so excited to extend our partnership with WABC and ESPN, which has
helped transform the TCS New York City Marathon broadcast into the most
compelling running event in the world," said Michael Capiraso, president
and CEO, New York Road Runners. "As we move on to the next chapter in the
partnership, our goal is to take the world's greatest storytelling event to
an even wider audience, particularly the young people who are so important
to our mission."
"The TCS New York City Marathon is the world's biggest and most popular
marathon in large part because it brings so many communities together. It
is inspiring to watch the tens of thousands of participants from around the
world, along with family members, friends, fans, and volunteers. All of us
at WABC are enormously proud to be a part of the weeklong celebration,"
said Debra O'Connell, president and general manager of WABC. "We look
forward to bringing the excitement of the race into our viewers' homes as
the runners make their way through all five of New York City's boroughs."
The 2018 race will take place on Sunday, November 4 and will be broadcast
live on WABC-TV in the New York City tristate area, nationwide on ESPN2,
and globally through various international broadcast partners. The race
will be made available to over 650 million homes in 176 countries around
the world.
Race-day coverage begins with a preview show on WABC at 7:00 a.m. ET,
followed by race-day coverage from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will
carry the professional race from 9:00 am to 12:30 p.m. ET. The 48th running
of the race will also stream live via on abc7ny.com, and the ABC app in the
New York City viewing area and the ESPN App nationally from 9:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m. ET. A two-hour encore presentation of the race broadcast will air
on ABC affiliates around the country from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00
p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT.
"We have the world's best athletes leading the way for 50,000 amazing
stories, together on the streets of the world's greatest city with over a
million cheering spectators. It's New York City's biggest block party and
the broadcast will cover it all. Now that's great TV," said Peter Ciaccia,
president of events, New York Road Runners and race director of the TCS New
York City Marathon. We'll see if Shalane Flanagan can do it again, one year
after becoming the first American woman in 40 years to win the open
division, follow the compelling personal stories of some Team #MovedMe
runners, and analyze the biometric data of athletes in an entertaining way
with Performance Metrics powered by TCS."
The broadcast, which has been produced in coordination with IMG since 1994,
and will feature 17 commentators, reporters, and analysts. Leading the call
will be ESPN's Sage Steele, serving as the race-day host for the third
consecutive year, and John Anderson, calling the play by play for the sixth
consecutive year along with analysts Tim Hutchings and Carrie Tollefson.
Three-time New York City Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe and the U.S.
Olympic gold medalist in the 1500 meters at Rio 2016, Matthew Centrowitz,
who is making his professional broadcast debut, will provide reports from
the course on the lead packs in the women's and men's fields.
The group will be joined by a talented array of reporters stationed along
the course, as well as at the start and finish, including Lewis Johnson and
ABC7's Ryan Field, Sam Ryan, Amy Freeze, Anthony Johnson, Kemberly
Richardson, John Del Giorno, Michelle Charlesworth, and Josh Einiger.
The broadcast covers all 26.2 miles of the marathon course utilizing 40
cameras including aerial views, mobile cameras, various finish line
perspectives and a unique wheelchair camera attached to the chairs of
professional wheelchair athletes and U.S. Paralympians Amanda McGrory and
Josh George.
In addition to the coverage of the professional race fields, the broadcast
will feature Team #MovedMe, which highlights 26 compelling stories of
runners from around the world. Features include Patrick Harten, the air
traffic controller who created a lifetime bond with Captain Chesley "Sully"
Sullenberger after the two came together during the "Miracle on the
Hudson," and Michelle Wheeler, a professional wheelchair racer with an
inspiring story of overcoming of adversity.
Viewers will get an in-depth look at runner biometric data through
Performance Metrics powered by TCS. Ten notable runners will wear a small
electronic device that will collect real-time data for in-race analysis.
"Sports Science" host John Brenkus will break down the Performance Metrics
live in the broadcast, which will feature professional athletes Tim
Ritchie, Beverly Ramos, Josh George, and Amanda McGrory, retired New York
City Marathon champion and NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador Meb Keflezighi,
world-renowned chef Daniel Humm, NYRR President and CEO Michael Capiraso,
competitive eater Yasir Salem, U.S. Olympic luge medalist Erin Hamlin, and
actress Teri Hatcher. The data will focus on heart rate, breathing rate,
and cadence and pace relative to the conditions of the course and
environment, such as elevation, grade, and weather.
In the New York tristate area, WABC will air marathon coverage all weekend.
In addition to the Sunday race broadcast, coverage of the following will be
available on WABC and abc7ny.com as well as on the ESPN App nationally
outside of the New York tristate area:
- Friday, November 2: TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony, 5:30
p.m.- 6:30 p.m. ET
Eyewitness News sports anchor Ryan Field and meteorologist Amy Freeze will
kick off the celebration for New York City's most popular annual sporting
event, reporting from the Parade of Nations and the evening fireworks in
Central Park.
- Saturday, November 3: Countdown to the Starting Line, 11:30 p.m. - 12:00
a.m. ET
Live from the TCS New York City Marathon Eve Experience at the TCS New York
City Marathon Pavilion in Central Park, Eyewitness News anchors Liz Cho and
David Novarro and meteorologist Amy Freeze reveal the top names to watch on
race day and look at what it takes to put on the biggest marathon in the
world.
- Sunday, November 4: Eyewitness News Marathon Sunday, 7:00 a.m. - 9:00
a.m. ET
Sports anchors Ryan Field and Sam Ryan will host coverage from Fort
Wadsworth on Staten Island. Meteorologists Lee Goldberg and Amy Freeze will
report from the start, while Kemberly Richardson, Michelle Charlesworth,
Josh Einiger, and Anthony Johnson will report from throughout the city.
John Del Giorno will cover the race from above in NewsCopter7.
- Sunday, November 4: Final Finisher, 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. ET
Though the biggest prize may go to the runner who finishes first, the most
rewarding moment often goes to the runner who finishes last, known
endearingly as the "Final Finisher." Starting at 8:00 p.m. ET fans can tune
in live as the ESPN App streams live coverage of the "Final Finisher" when
every remaining athlete crosses the line, some achieving lifelong dreams
and others overcoming impossible odds.
About the TCS New York City Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world and the
signature event of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world's premier
community running organization. The race is held annually on the first
Sunday of November and includes over 50,000 runners, from the world's top
professional athletes to runners of all ages and abilities, including over
9,000 charity runners. Participants from approximately 140 countries tour
the diverse neighborhoods of New York City's five boroughs-Staten Island,
Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Race morning also features the
Rising New York Road Runners Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City
Marathon, a race within Central Park that finishes at the same finish line
being crossed hours later by the marathon field. More than one million
spectators and 10,000 volunteers line the city's streets in support of the
runners, while millions more watch the globally televised broadcast. Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and
business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the
title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. The 48th running of the
TCS New York City Marathon is set for November 4, 2018. To learn more,
visit www.tcsnycmarathon.org.
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