World Athletics Ultimate Championship
Wide range of innovations developed across broadcast, competition, event presentation, athlete experience and digital platforms for the inaugural edition of the global championship
A series of innovations has been announced for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, from 11-13 September. With less than two months to go, the championship will finally settle the debate over who is the best of the best in athletics.
“We have said from the very beginning that we are doing things differently with the Ultimate Championship,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “These innovations offer a taste of how we intend to move the sport forward with this brand-new global championship, elevating athletics and its many stars while reimagining how fans will experience the inaugural edition.”
Broadcast
At the centre of these innovations is a thorough overhaul of the broadcast product. The championship programme was developed with a television audience at its heart, allowing for more storytelling around the athletes, while also engaging fans more effectively through digital platforms. For the first time, athletics fans had the opportunity to give their opinions on the new TV graphics and to share their experiences as viewers.
The graphics package includes updated visuals featuring augmented reality, athlete headshots, new data points, and a refreshed look and feel. Win probabilities and projected finishing positions will also form part of the broadcast, with probabilities based on an algorithm informed by previous results, weighted towards the most recent performances and updated live in real time. Other small but significant design tweaks include the race clock shifting to the bottom centre of the screen, enabling a more seamless user experience on vertical platforms.
Combining innovation with storytelling, a new viewing experience will make its debut at the Ultimate this September. Further details will be revealed soon.
The Ultimate will not follow a conventional timetable but rather a show script in which every second is accounted for. Scenario-planning between broadcast and event presentation ensures that moments of surprise and delight are captured and that no storyline will be missed.
As exclusive international media rights partner, Infront has worked alongside World Athletics to ensure the championship enjoys coverage globally, helping establish a broad platform for a new competition format that combines elite performance with an enhanced viewing experience.
More than 20 major broadcasters will be broadcasting the Ultimate live, including the BBC (United Kingdom), NBCUniversal (United States), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), L’Équipe (France), CPSL (Caribbean), Polsat (Poland) and TBS (Japan), among many others, with additional broadcasters in the final negotiation stages.
Competition and event presentation
From a competition standpoint, things will also look a little different. The field of play will be transformed by a dramatic black infield, with only the competition areas in use during the session showcased in sharp contrast, drawing fans towards the ongoing action. Conceptual renderings of the field of play are available for editorial use here.
A bespoke sound identity will reflect the vibe and energy of the Ultimate brand, with pole vault world record-holder Mondo Duplantis in charge of delivering the Ultimate Anthem. Live acts will ensure that each session warm-up will start with a bang and get spectators in the right mood.
For the first time ever, centre-court-style interviews will be shown in the stadium and simultaneously broadcast live on the world feed, bringing the on-site energy into the living rooms of the TV audience.
In close cooperation with world and Olympic champion Noah Lyles, World Athletics has developed new ways to present athletes pre-event and to celebrate them post-event. A full lighting rig will enhance the show character of the event and will put athletes in the spotlight.
The competition schedule has been thoughtfully shaped to maximise the impact of each discipline, with an organising principle of just one field event being contested at a time, whenever possible, to give each athlete the full attention of the audience. It will feature three sessions across three evenings, each lasting three hours. Each session will feature both a horizontal and a vertical jump, a throwing event and track finals.
There are 28 finals during the three days of competition, with straight finals in all field events, the 1500m and the 5000m; track disciplines of 800m and shorter will have semi-finals.
Athlete experience
Creating a different athlete experience was also front and centre in the design of the championship. That’s why the Ultimate Championship will begin with The Day Before, a brand-new concept that transforms the traditional pre-event press conference into an unmissable opportunity for athletes to showcase their personalities and personal sponsors, for media to access athletes in a less formal environment, and for creators and athletes to generate exclusive content.
The Day Before will consist of distinct moments, all part of one spectacular afternoon on 10 September, the day before competition begins.
- The Press Conference – the formal opening of the Ultimate Championship, to include World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and Ultimate Legend Usain Bolt.
- The Red Carpet – staggered athlete arrivals in lifestyle clothing of their choice, with photo, Glambot and video capture.
- The Media Day – dedicated content capture stations, photoshoots, interviews and reaction shots, and brand moments.
- The Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge – Ultimate Stars Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo lead a team-based, grassroots showcase with local children inside the stadium.
For event days, specific rights have been reserved to ensure all participating athletes will receive footage of their respective disciplines to publish on their digital channels and allow them to make greater use of their own name, image and likeness rights. Athletes will also have access to World Athletics-commissioned photography, from both the competition and behind the scenes, to better own their narrative. In addition to competing, Tara Davis-Woodhall will serve as the lead content creator for the Ultimate, adding another layer of athlete-led storytelling to the event.
There will also be an athlete-only after-party – Club Ultimate by Noah Lyles – with the eight-time world champion involved in shaping the experience of the event, from DJ selection to venue vetting.
A focus on the singularity of what it means to be an Ultimate Champion has also resulted in a reimagining of awards. There will be no medals. Instead, all invited athletes will receive a unique participation token. Ultimate Champions will each earn a trophy designed to connect with their participation token to form a complete piece. Both the trophy and the participation token will be revealed closer to the start of the event.
And because no athlete reaches the top of their sport alone, special arrangements have been made to welcome athletes’ nearest and dearest into the event, so athletes get to share the moment with the people who matter to them, on the inside of the championship rather than as ordinary spectators spread across the stands.
As previously announced, the Ultimate Championship will offer the largest prize pot in track and field history, with $10 million up for grabs, including $150,000 for individual champions, and every participating athlete set to receive prize money.
There are no country quotas at the Ultimate Championship. Automatic invitations have been extended to the 2024 Olympic champions and 2025 world champions, while winners of this year’s Wanda Diamond League will also earn an automatic invitation. An explanation of invitation criteria, alongside an accompanying 'Road to Ultimate' tool, can be found here.
Digital platforms
World Athletics will also introduce a brand-new mobile app at the Ultimate, designed to transform how fans around the world follow and engage with the sport. The app will offer a dynamic, personalised and mobile-first experience, bringing together live results, athlete stories, video content, interactive games, predictions and tailored notifications in one destination. Serving both dedicated followers and more casual fans, it will act as an essential companion during major competitions while also providing compelling content and experiences throughout the year. The new platform represents an important step in World Athletics’ digital transformation, strengthening direct relationships with fans, making athletics more accessible and creating new opportunities for engagement, community building and partner activation.
Together with the broadcast, competition and event-presentation innovations, the app is designed to bring fans closer to the athletes and the action at the inaugural Ultimate Championship.
