It seems like the Wanda Diamond League has finally got the message! In response to criticism from fans and athletes, the league has made an unprecedented announcement. A record-breaking increase in prize money for the 2025 season. The decision comes after the loud voices demanding change, especially from track and field legends like Carl Lewis. All hail to the outcry, because this time the Diamond League had no choice but to listen!

A General Assembly meeting was held recently that confirmed the total prize fund for athletes will now hit a staggering $9.24 million in 2025. That’s nearly a 30% rise compared to payouts during the pandemic-affected seasons from 2021 to 2024. If that did not suffice, when combined with the promotional fees for elite athletes, the total adds up to $18 million for the entire season. That’s a huge step for a sport that has been battling so hard to bridge the pay gap with other sports like football and basketball. So what exactly does this entail?

Now, much to Carl Lewis’ relief, athletes competing in the leagues will be competing for bigger payouts across all 14 regular meetings. Each meeting adds up to a prize pool of $500,000. Additionally, the much-anticipated final in Zurich will see a total prize money of $2.24 million. The season seems to be lighting up for athletes who shine bright in the Diamond Disciplines.

Petr Stastny, the CEO of Diamond League AG, went on to add, “The Wanda Diamond League remains committed to rewarding the athletes more whilst at the same time ensuring the long-term sustainability of the series, so it continues to provide vital competition to the athletes for many more years to come.” To add another layer of excitement to the mix, winners of the regular series meetings will bag between $30,000 and $50,000. With another $100,000 up for grabs at the Zurich final! In an attempt to take a step in the right direction, these payouts will be distributed equally among male and female competitors. This move, however, is not merely about making paychecks bigger.

The increase in rewards is the League’s strong response to the screams of discontent that have been flooding social media this year. With sprinting legends like Carl Lewis voicing frustrations, the Diamond League has realized that ignoring criticism isn’t exactly a winning strategy. Pre-announcement, athletes were paid as little as $10,000 for a regular event win during the past few seasons. The pay parity issue has been a sore sport for athletes for a long time now. The new payout figures might finally bring some much-needed balance. That balance, however, did not come easy.

Critics speak, and Diamond League listens

The turning point in the saga of equity came in early September when track legend Carl Lewis didn’t hold back. The nine-time Olympic gold medalist took it to X to call out the Diamond League. He accused the Diamond League of being “about collusion and lowering athletes’ control and pay,” and even went as far as to say the league “needs to go.”

Before you knew it, the frustration grew like wildfire amidst the athletes. Why wouldn’t it? The prize did not reflect the level of performance athletes like Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred were delivering week after week. Lyles, for example, after ruling the 2024 season, made only $127,800. An amount that seems almost insulting in comparison to other mainstream sports.

Adding further fuel to the fire, another big name in athletics pulled out of the Brussels Diamond League final! Grant Holloway, disappointed with the prize of $30,000, pulled out of the race. He even went on to say, “Shame that they doing athletes like that.” It wasn’t just athletes who had grown tired of subpar broadcasting and a lack of accessibility. But what the League did to resolve this has caused further distress.

Starting in 2025, the US rights to the Diamond League will shift from NBC to FloTrack, a niche streaming platform. This has further broken the hearts of the athletics community. Many speculate that this move could halt the momentum that track and field has built over recent years. And the speculation is definitely valid considering a subscription to FloTrack costs $29.99 per month—a far cry from the $5.99 monthly fee for Peacock, which previously held the broadcasting rights. It became increasingly clear that the Diamond League had to act. The prize money increase might not solve all the problems, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction!