What We Know:
- ESPN2, ESPN+ and WABC will live stream the race again this year
- Disney, the parent company of ESPN and ABC, has signed a three-year deal with NYRR for the rights
- ABC will broadcast a national live show on Marathon Sunday for the first time
- Three other NYRR events will be live streamed throughout the year as part of the deal
The New York City Marathon will once again reach a national audience on television this November.
The New York Road Runners, the company that owns and operates the marathon, has reportedly entered a three-year deal with Disney for live streaming and televised rights of the race.
WABC, the New York City local affiliate channel, and ESPN have carried the marathon broadcast since 2013. Disney owns both ESPN and ABC.
“New York Road Runners is excited to grow our partnership with ABC7/WABC-TV and ESPN as the appetite for running content continues to grow out of the post-pandemic running boom,” NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer said in a statement released to the media.
Simmelkjaer also revealed that the NYC Half, 5th Avenue Mile and New York Mini 10K will be live streamed as part of the deal.
Although the specific schedule hasn’t yet been released, the marathon, which will be held on Nov. 3 this year, will feature a live pre-show and elite race coverage nationally on ESPN2. The national live stream will be on EPSN+, the channel’s paid subscription platform.
WABC, the local affiliate, will also broadcast and live stream the entire race, as it has for many years. The local live stream on WABC’s site is typically blocked beyond the New York area based on the location of your IP address.
New this year will be a national, live two-hour show on ABC, which will focus on “celebrities and everyday runners,” according to Variety.
It’s unclear if the national ABC two-hour show will follow any portion of the elite races, and if it will be freely live streamed throughout the U.S. As it stands now (and has been the case for several years), if you don’t live within the New York City area and don’t have a cable package which includes ESPN (or a subscription to ESPN+), it’s impossible to watch the New York City Marathon live in the United States.
We’ll be sure to report on how you can live stream and watch the 2024 New York City Marathon when the details are made public, including international streaming options for viewers outside of the U.S.
