EBU renews World Athletics rights deal

The European Broadcasting Union and World Athletics have renewed their media rights partnership for top tier World Athletics Series events.

The renewal will start in 2024 and end in 2029 and will see the pair celebrate 40 years of working together. It continues from the last agreement, which ran from 2018 until 2023, and sees the EBU hold the European and African rights on all existing and non-existing platforms, via all distribution modes (albeit the vast majority of coverage will be free-to-air), as well as non-exclusive radio rights. 

29 EBU Members have already been confirmed for World Athletics events over the six-year span of the new contract, with opportunities for digital content distribution and a joint commitment to create a compelling documentary series about athletics that will sit alongside live broadcasts on free-to-air TV of the World Athletics Championships and World Athletics Indoor Championships.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said: “We have had a long and fruitful partnership with the EBU and I’m delighted that this has been extended in an enhanced agreement that we believe will be game-changing for our sport.

“This is good news for our athletes and our fans as it will create more opportunities for everyone who loves our sport to watch it regularly, and more easily, and for new fans to fall in love with its undeniable magic. The EBU is ideally placed to help us to grow over the six years of this agreement.”

Noel Curran, EBU director general, added: “The EBU will be World Athletics’ partner in implementing its strategic plan for the growth, inspiration and leadership of the sport.

“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with a packed, top-class athletics calendar ahead, this is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we believe only public service media are in a position to help develop and exploit fully, across all possible platforms.”