USATF announce packed TV schedule for summer of 2000
15 June 2000 – Indianapolis, USA - The summer of 2000 features a full lineup of nationally televised track and field events, USA Track & Field announced Wednesday. This weekend’s national broadcasts get the track TV season into full swing with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials (PAX, June 17, 9-11 p.m. ET) and the 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix Invitational (CBS, June 17, 5-6 p.m. ET), which features Marion Jones’ first domestic appearance in the long jump in 2000.
Including the April 30 broadcast of the Penn Relays on ESPN and the June 4 broadcast of the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on CBS, this summer’s track and field TV lineup boasts 22 shows, not including NBC’s Olympic coverage September 21 through October 1. From June 4 through July 23, there are nine network (CBS, NBC) broadcasts of track and field in the U.S., including the NCAA Championships, USATF’s Golden Spike Tour, and the U.S. Olympic Trials.
"This summer’s TV schedule puts track and field where it belongs - in front of the American public and on national television," said USATF CEO Craig Masback. "The quality of the events is exciting in itself. When you add the variety, from college and international meets to the Olympic Trials, you realise what a fantastic opportunity it is for track and field to show millions of Americans why it is the #1 participatory sport among junior high and high school students in this country and the most-watched sport at the Olympics."
NBC will air four days of Olympic Trials coverage, including a total of three hours of prime-time broadcasts on July 15 and July 23. In addition, ESPN will air five IAAF Golden League meets from Europe; the Oxygen TV Network, reaching 18 million homes, will broadcast an hour-long segment of highlights from two Golden Spike Tour meets; and PAX TV, a cable network that reaches 77 percent of U.S. households, will air an additional 12 hours of Olympic Trials coverage.
This summer’s expanded schedule is part of a trend of increased television coverage of track and field. In 1999-2000, there will be more than 50 nationally televised track shows on NBC, CBS, ESPN, TBS and PAX, and the ratings are strong and building. The average Nielsen rating of all network, over-the-air (CBS, NBC) coverage of track in 1999 was a 2.1, which compares very favorably to the averages for NHL Hockey (1.7), the WNBA (1.5) and Major League Soccer (.9). The quality of televised track shows is also recognised for excellence: NBC’s coverage of the 1999 World Championships from Seville, Spain, won the Emmy for "live turn-around" broadcasts.
USATF’s Golden Spike Tour is a series of televised Indoor and Outdoor track meets featuring top U.S. and international athletes, competing for significant prize money on U.S. soil. This year’s five-meet Indoor Golden Spike Tour averaged more than 10,000 spectators per event—no other country had even a single indoor meet with more than 10,000 spectators.
The 2000 Outdoor Golden Spike Tour serves as a prelude to the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, July 14-23 in Sacramento, California. More than 160,000 tickets have been sold to the 8-day Olympic Trials, guaranteeing the largest crowd in Olympic Trials history.
The following is a comprehensive, chronological list of upcoming track and field broadcasts (all times Eastern. Scheduled subject to change. Check local listings):
Saturday, June 17 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women’s
Marathon 9-11 p.m. PAX
Sunday, June 18 Pontiac Grand Prix Invitational (GST, GP) Raleigh, N.C. -6 p.m. CBS
Saturday, June 24 Prefontaine Classic (GP) Eugene, Ore. 3-4 p.m. CBS (LIVE)
Saturday, June 24 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon 9-11 p.m. PAX
Sunday, June 25 adidas Oregon Track Classic (GST, IAAF Permit) Portland, Ore. 3-4 p.m. CBS
(LIVE)
Sunday, July 2 GMC Envoy Open (GST) 5-6 p.m. CBS
Friday, July 14 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11 p.m.-1 a.m. PAX
Saturday, July 15 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 8-9 p.m. NBC
Sunday, July 16 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 4-6 p.m. NBC
Monday, July 17 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11p.m.-1 a.m. PAX
Thursday, July 20 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. PAX
Friday, July 21 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11 p.m.-1:00 a.m. PAX
Saturday, July 22 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 1-3 p.m. NBC
Sunday, July 23 Golden Spike Tour highlights 5-7 p.m. Oxygen TV Network
Sunday, July 23 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 7-9 p.m. NBC
Friday, July 28 Exxon Mobil Bislett Games (GL) Oslo, Norway 7:30-9 p.m. ESPN
Monday, August 14 Weltklasse Zurich (GL) Zurich, SUI 8-10 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, August 19 Herculis Zepter Monaco (GL) 8-10 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, August 26 Memorial Van Damme (GL) Brussels, Belgium 2-4 p.m. ESPN
Friday, September 1 ISTAF 2000 (GL) Berlin, Germany 7-8 p.m. ESPN
GST = USATF Golden Spike Tour Event
GP = IAAF Grand Prix Event
GL = IAAF Golden League Event
International track & field broadcast schedule -
upcoming meets
Saturday, June 24 Prefontaine Classic (GP) Eugene, Ore. 3-4 p.m. CBS (LIVE)
Sunday, June 25 adidas Oregon Track Classic (GST, IAAF Permit) Portland, Ore. 3-4 p.m. CBS
(LIVE)
Sunday, July 2 GMC Envoy Open (GST) 5-6 p.m. CBS
Sunday, July 23 Golden Spike Tour highlights 5-7 p.m. Oxygen TV Network
Friday, July 28 Exxon Mobil Bislett Games (GL) Oslo, Norway 7:30-9 p.m. ESPN
Monday, August 14 Weltklasse Zurich (GL) Zurich, SUI 8-10 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, August 19 Herculis Zepter Monaco (GL) 8-10 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, August 26 Memorial Van Damme (GL) Brussels, Belgium 2-4 p.m. ESPN
Friday, September 1 ISTAF 2000 (GL) Berlin, Germany 7-8 p.m. ESPN
Olympic Track & Field Trials broadcast schedule
Saturday, June 17 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women’s Marathon 9-11 p.m. PAX
Saturday, June 24 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon 9-11 p.m. PAX
Friday, July 14 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11 p.m.-1 a.m. PAX
Saturday, July 15 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 8-9 p.m. NBC
Sunday, July 16 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 4-6 p.m. NBC
Monday, July 17 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11p.m.-1 a.m. PAX
Thursday, July 20 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. PAX
Friday, July 21 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 11 p.m.-1:00 a.m. PAX
Saturday, July 22 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 1-3 p.m. NBC
Sunday, July 23 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field 7-9 p.m. NBC
