Track and Field: spelled together and looked after by the same governing bodies, nationally and internationally. The blood and sweat put in by the athletes in both disciplines to perform on the highest stages are also on par with each other. But do they enjoy the same attention and exposure when it comes to airing the events? We can not testify that after looking at NBC’s live coverage of the ongoing US Olympic Trials 2024.

As expected, a bunch of track and field events were scheduled in overlapping time slots on day 1. However, NBC’s live streaming remained largely focused on the track events. All the races were meticulously aired starting from the heats. However, a similar coverage was not seen for the field events, which were reduced to snippets sandwiched between the races. This was noted by the fans and field icons alike. That was evident when 2023 world silver medalist long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall took to her X to raise the matter.

The track events enjoy some technical advantages over the field events. In most track events, results are out in no time. Although there are long-distance races, those are also quite time-bound. On the other hand field events usually take much longer to wrap up, testing the patience of the viewers. Apparently, to keep with this sentiment, broadcasters tend to cut short the coverage. Tara Davis-Woodhall made a series of posts against this neglect.

Tara shared a fan’s post that criticized NBC for its coverage while writing, “or what we always say… showwww the field events?” In an attempt to bring the matter to the notice of the concerned parties, she tagged USATF, Peacock, and Tracktown while writing, “I WANT TO SEE TRIPLE JUMP!” Indeed, one has every reason to urge that, given the stark difference in the quality of coverage between both disciplines.

In the track events, while the athletes took their positions, the commentators gave anecdotes about every competitor. However, the field athletes were not even properly shown on screen. Even in that scanty coverage, only some very prominent field athletes were given the maximum screentime. For instance, in shotput, 2x Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser is too big a name to be ignored. So he enjoyed the maximum time. But Tara Davis-Woodhall did come up with a solution.

“Split the screen to show field and track,” Tara wrote. Notably, this is not the first time NBC’s coverage of the field event has faced criticism. Dwight Stones, a two-time Olympic high jump medalist and USA track and field Hall of Fame got into a fiery controversy with NBC in 2016. In the 1984 Olympics, Stones became the first athlete to compete and serve as a commentator simultaneously. In the following three decades, he has been a regular with NBC. But just before the Rio Olympics, Stones parted ways with the broadcaster.

Later, in an interview with Slate in August 2016, Stones revealed that the reason behind the split was his tussle with the NBC authorities over the coverage of the field events. As pointed out by Stones, NBC higher-ups did not pay any heed to his repeated pleas to give more airtime to the field events.

On Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stones said, “Field is 50 percent of the name and 43 percent of the events. And for it to be ignored and belittled the way it has been at the network of the Olympics for the United States through 2032, is a disgrace and a disservice.” Stones later covered the Rio Olympics for ESPN. But why are field events not so popular to broadcast?

According to Stones, running events are nicely segmented in small slots of eight, nine, or ten minutes, making them “predictable” and “packagable”. During the time in between, the broadcasters can go for commercials. However, field events have a high degree of uncertainty associated with them.

“You can’t really know how long they’re going to take. You can’t really know how far they’re going to throw or how far they’re going to jump or how high they’re going to jump. On paper, the event may look like it’s going to be spectacular and it can just be a dud. But they’re not willing to roll the dice,” Stones had said, explaining the matter. Unfortunately, some recent developments point out that field events still remain a ‘second choice’. Let’s see how.

Field events’ struggle continues even in the groundbreaking initiatives

Reddit founder and Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian’s 776 Invitational, a women-only event with a record-breaking prize purse created quite a ripple lately. Tara Davis-Woodhall also chimed in, asking, “Can I be a part of the field events meet :)” However, disappointment followed as Alexis clarified that the event would only highlight track events. Despite this, he hinted at future plans, reassuring Tara with, “Don’t be mad… we’re not doing field events for this… it’ll just be track, but I have ideas and definitely wanna get you involved.” But it’s not the only event sidelining field events.

Track and field legend Michael Johnson shook things up with his new track league, Grand Slam Track. Set to kick off in April 2025, this league aims to gather the world’s top runners and offer them a shot at competing for big money. We’re talking a staggering prize fund of $12.6 million, split into four events each year, with a jaw-dropping $100,000 top prize for each event. But here’s the twist: Johnson’s new tournament doesn’t include any field events on its roster either.

This decision sparked a significant backlash from fans online who believe field events deserve equal attention. But Johnson told CITUS MAG, “Our reasoning for no field events is that one of the things that we understand about modern sports – and this is one of the rules that was absolutely critical in developing this whole product: one event at a time.” Johnson explained that they would never stray from focusing solely on track events. He emphasized that athletes in those events deserve undivided attention.

Johnson also elaborated that within their live broadcast window, which lasts two-and-a-half hours, they prioritize showcasing one event at a time. This approach, he clarified, is crucial to ensuring each event receives the spotlight it deserves during both television broadcasts and live events. As we reflect on these updates and the ongoing challenges faced by field events in terms of coverage, what are your thoughts on this? Share in the comments below! What do you think could be done to give field events more recognition?