The Paris Olympics was heavily successful in catching the attention of the audience through the breathtaking performances of the athletes. NBCUniversal, which broadcasted the competition in the US, mainly televised popular events like track and field, gymnastics, and swimming during the prime time of 8-11 pm. In a press release, the network revealed that a total of 30.6 million viewers watched the Olympics during that slot.

This was a vast increase from the pandemic-hit Tokyo Olympics, which could only garner 16.9 million viewers. The recent discovery of this large audience has opened doors for new opportunities for numerous other tournaments. This includes Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos, whose New York leg starts on September 26th.

With the Paris Olympics and the Diamond League season both things of the past now, fans are looking for another premier track event to watch. Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos brings a lot of promise in that regard. The Reddit founder-backed tournament is a female-only-led tournament, the first of its kind. Top athletes like Gabby Thomas, Faith Kipyegong, and Alexis Holmes are all set to compete in it. With all this hype built around it, Ohanian is very optimistic about the event’s chances of becoming a sensation.

The entrepreneur isn’t afraid to express his confidence either, which was evident after he uploaded a post on X about the event. It said, “The Paris Olympics brought 30M+ eyeballs to athletes competing for the gold. When @athlos comes to NYC next week, we’ll capture & build on that incredible momentum. These track stars are about to be global icons.” So, what makes the event so attractive?

 But it’s not just X Alexis Ohanian-backed event in New York that has teamed up with major broadcasting players like YouTube, ESPN+, and DAZN to ensure fans worldwide don’t miss a second of the action. “It’s always been our top priority to ensure that Athlos NYC was not only accessible by fans around the world but also offered them a viewing experience like none other,” said Kayla Green, CMO of Athlos NYC, told Adweek. But wait. There’s more!

Gabby Thomas, fresh off her stunning three-gold medal haul at the Paris Olympics, is the star of the show at Athlos and has been heavily involved in its development, promoting it like a champ. She’s joined stars like Faith Kipyegon, Alexis Holmes, and Annie Tagoe, and there are whispers of Olympic silver medalist Sha’Carri Richardson making a surprise appearance—if that happens, this event will be off the charts! Adding to the excitement, hip-hop sensation Megan Thee Stallion is set to perform, making Athlos not just a feast for track fans but a total entertainment spectacle. It’s a win-win for the athletes, with a huge boon for the women.

Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos NYC goes all out for its women athletes

Alexis Ohanian shook the track community by announcing Athlos in April 2024; he came forward with a certain set of promises. One of them was to tackle the problem of low payouts to the competing athletes. According to him, some athletes weren’t getting paid enough despite being the best in the world. After Ohanian got Gabby Thomas on board, they started working on ideas about making their plan work.

First, they announced that the event would be female-only, aiming to transform the competing athletes into big names in track. After this, they decided to double the prize money Diamond League offers their winners. A winner of an event in Athlos will get $60,000 compared to the Diamond League’s $30,000. But that’s not all!

The top six athletes in a competition will all earn prize money. The second-placed contestant would earn $25,000, while the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-placed would all earn $10,000. So, this Alexis Ohanian-backed event could spark a revolution in track and field with its enticing payouts and increased exposure for athletes—hello, payday! Plus, with a lineup that promises to be a star-studded extravaganza, it’s bound to be a blast for fans. Are you excited to see how it all unfolds? Let’s hear your thoughts!