Last year, when Michael Johnson teamed up with ‘Winners Alliance’ to launch Grand Slam Track (GST), it felt like a turning point for the sport. But, less than a year later, GST’s debut season collapsed after missed payments totaling more than $13 million. And this left many questioning about how the sport could survive in a modern media market. However, Alexis Ohanian has just the right solution to reshape the conversation around broadcasting in the sport.

On October 2nd, after Athlos made an announcement for its second season in New York, many fans pondered over the broadcasting of the event. One fan even asked “How can I watch athlos? Will they stream on YouTube?” Answering the query, the official account of Athlos shared the list of its media and broadcasting partners, “X, DAZN, YouTube, ESPN and ION.” 

Additionally, Athlos is giving what GST could not. Grand Slam Track promised coverage across 189 countries through 21 broadcast partners. Johnson even declared, “We set out to make Grand Slam Track™ viewable for fans all across the globe, and these deals reinforce that idea.” Yet GST’s eventual downfall highlighted how broad international reach did not resolve internal financial pressures or guarantee stability.

Interestingly, Athlos NYC’s broadcast on ION will also include a pre-show, ‘Icons on ION,’ before the official event broadcast begins at  7 p.m. ET. Range Sports worked with Seven Seven Six to secure media rights and distribution.

And now, Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports, said, “ATHLOS showcases remarkable athletes while building culture and community. We look forward to bringing ATHLOS and its events to fans nationwide as we strengthen our commitment to elevating women’s athletics in premium, live environments on ION.” With marquee athletes such as Faith Kipyegon, Keely Hodgkinson, Tara Davis-Woodhall, and Marileidy Paulino confirmed for the upcoming edition, the message is clear – while one league (GST) faltered under the weight of its model, Ohanian’s Athlos is aiming to rise.

Alexis Ohanian’s broadcasting vision strengthens viewership of Athlos

Athlos officials confirmed that “Athlos has signed a multiyear agreement with Scripps Sports to broadcast its annual events on Ion Television.” However, the detailed terms of the agreement were not disclosed. But the alignment clearly pointed out the event’s progression since its debut last September. ATHLOS NYC has already drew millions of viewers across multiple streaming platforms. Ohanian even stated, “We are thrilled to team up with ION as our broadcast partner for Athlos NYC.”

This year, Athlos said the event would continue to stream live on YouTube and X, with additional outlets to follow, while Ion assumed the central linear role. The broadcast deal arrived as the organization expanded its format, introducing a field event for the first time with a long jump qualifier set in Times Square on October 9.

Scripps Sports further pointed out that the addition of Athlos will be part of a wider effort to reinforce ION as a one-stop destination for women’s sports. Earlier this year, the company extended its WNBA arrangement. This was a deal that reportedly began at a whopping $13 million per year. Now, Ohanian’s ATHLOS decided to cash in and make full use of the platform to promote track and field. And at a time, where Michael Johnson’s GST is in dire straits, it surely looks like Athlos has beaten them by miles.