“That’s Unfortunate”: Michael Johnson Leads Charge for Revival in Track and Field Coverage a Year After NBC Controversy

With four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championship gold medals, Michael Johnson stands as an icon in track and field. Since his retirement in 2001, Johnson has retired to become a sports commentator and media pundit for track and field. Knowing the ins and outs of the sport, he has often used his voice as a staunch advocate.

Last year, amidst concerns over NBC’s decision not to cover the US outdoor track and field championship in 2023, Johnson lent his influential voice to support the athletes who protested against this omission. Now, a year later, the seasoned veteran spearheads a movement to reignite interest in track and field coverage, following a year of controversy.

Michael Johnson makes waves with a new venture a year after NBC controversy

According to Sportico, Michael Johnson is teaming up with a company called Winners Alliance to create a new track and field league. They want to make track and field more exciting for fans, not just during the Olympics but all year round. Track and field is popular internationally, but in the U.S., it’s mostly only followed during the Olympics.

The decision by NBC to not cover the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2023 reignited discussions around the sport’s visibility. Rather than airing on NBC, the championships received six hours of live coverage on CNBC, with additional streaming options available.

Michael Johnson lamented this missed opportunity, highlighting, “That’s unfortunate, since over 3 billion people are watching the sport once a year during those major championships and have an expressed interest to continue watching the sport if there was a place to do so.” They hope this new league will change that by putting athletes at the forefront and making the sport more accessible to fans. So how do they plan to do this?

The huge plans to revive track and field coverage

The new league, created by Michael Johnson and the Winners Alliance, will focus on showcasing the top athletes and telling their stories in a way that’s interesting for TV viewers. Johnson and Winners Alliance also want to help track and field athletes make money from their talents by commercializing their rights. Winners Alliance claims to be investing a lot of money into this venture, which they say is the biggest investment in track and field history.

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Michael Johnson, a longtime pundit on the BBC, and his team and stakeholders are talking to TV networks, sponsors, and investors to make this league a reality. Johnson said, “The track has been such a big part of my life, and I’m in a position to help this sport get back to where it should be.” What do you think about this groundbreaking venture by the track icon? Comment below!

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