Spanish language broadcast to be produced for first time nationwide by ESPN
New York, October 13, 2022 — The TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 6 will be broadcast to more than 530 million homes around the world in 182 countries and territories through various international broadcast partners, including ABC7/WABC-TV in the New York City area and ESPN2 across the United States. WABC-TV and ESPN2 have been home to the award-winning broadcast of the world’s largest marathon since 2013.
For the first time, a domestic Spanish-language broadcast of the TCS New York City Marathon will be produced and distributed by ESPN. It will be the first Spanish-language broadcast of any marathon to air on ESPN Deportes. It will air live on ESPN3 and the App from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and then will re-air on ESPN Deportes from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST.
“We are excited to introduce a Spanish language broadcast for the first time in TCS New York City Marathon history, which will increase access to one of New York City’s most iconic annual sporting events,” said Kerin Hempel, CEO of New York Road Runners. “Through multiple local, national, and global platforms, we will be able to reach our diverse running community and share the magic of marathon Sunday with audiences around the world.”
This year’s broadcast will have reduced interruptions of the professional athlete races with the introduction of two-box commercial breaks and split screen enhancements that allow viewers to keep track of the four professional athlete races simultaneously. Pro race coverage will feature new helicopter-supported graphics illustrating race stats, including a virtual course map and an enhanced ISOTrack2.0 graphic system that can virtually track up to three runners on the course. The enhanced graphics are being delivered by SMT, which has provided broadcast technology to the TCS New York City Marathon since 2009.
Joining the talent team for this year’s domestic broadcast will be five-time TCS New York City Marathon champion and 13-time Paralympic medalist Kurt Fearnley and running reporter Chris Chavez. Fearnley will be in the broadcast booth as a race analyst for all four professional divisions, and Chavez will make his broadcast debut on the men’s moto. John Anderson, Lewis Johnson, three-time Olympian and former American record-holder Deena Kastor, Sage Steele, and Olympian Carrie Tollefson will round out the national talent.
“The New York City Marathon changed my life. My first win in 2006 rocketed across Australia, and I had the privilege of winning another four over my career. To be a part of the commentary team and to share this great race with the audience at home is as exciting as the first time I took to the start line,” Fearnley said. “It’s the greatest race in the world, and the best of the best always take to the start line, and now I get to be a part of telling those extraordinary athletes’ stories as they take their own journey into the TCS New York City Marathon history books.”
The group will be joined by a talented array of reporters at the start, finish, along the course, and in the sky, including ABC7’s Eyewitness News reporters Ryan Field, Sam Ryan, Anthony Johnson, Kemberly Richardson, Michelle Charlesworth, Lee Goldberg, Brittany Bell, and Josh Einiger.
The broadcast, produced in coordination with 45 Live and distributed by IMG, will air on ABC7/WABC-TV and ESPN2 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST. Pre-race coverage from Fort Wadsworth begins at 7:00 a.m. EST.
The race will also stream live on abc7ny.com, and the ABC7New York app in the tristate viewing area from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the ESPN App nationally from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST.
Pre-race and continuing coverage will also be streamed live nationally on ESPN3 (accessible on the ESPN App and ESPN.com) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ESPN3 will present a view of the finish line from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST.
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. EST.
The international broadcast will include three-time TCS New York City Marathon champion and four-time British Olympian Paula Radcliffe providing race analysis, alongside veteran track and field commentator Paul Swangard.
International broadcast partners secured by IMG for the race include: FloSports (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom), ESPN Brasil (Brazil), SMG Sports (China), Eurosport (Pan Europe, Pan Asia, India), L’Equipe (France), RAI (Italy), TV Asahi (Japan), Sky Mexico (Mexico), NOS (Netherlands), Sky (New Zealand), SuperSport (Sub-Saharan Africa), ESPN International (South America), and TVE and TV3 (Spain).
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
