Sprinting great Michael Johnson is launching a track league that looks to assemble nearly 100 of the sport's top performers four times a year to compete for ...
Sprinting great Michael Johnson is launching a track league that looks to assemble nearly 100 of the sport's top performers four times a year to compete for $12.6 million in prize money over its first season.
As a sign of the sport's struggles to grab a consistent audience in the U.S., NBC, which televises the Olympics, did not renew its contract with the Diamond League; which will be carried by the subscription website FloTrack in the U.S. beginning in 2025. “Michael has done a great job putting this together, and just knowing that the future of track and field can grow exponentially and that athletes will have the opportunity to grow the sport and it’s in a place that’s ready to do that,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “I’m excited to be a part of that in whatever capacity I can be.”
The league has secured more than $30 million in financial commitment. A group called Winners Alliance, described by the league as Johnson's operating partner, was the lead investor. Johnson, who has stayed in the sport on a number of levels, including as an analyst for BBC, wants to see track in the spotlight more than once or twice a year.
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