Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled for September 11-13 in Budapest, Hungary, aims to innovate broadcast, competition, event presentation, athlete experience, and digital platforms, according to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
The championship program is designed with television audiences in mind, integrating extensive athlete storytelling to engage fans across digital channels. For the first time, fans were invited to give feedback on new TV graphics and the viewing experience, influencing design elements such as augmented reality features, athlete headshots, and updated data points.
Broadcast enhancements include a new graphics package that displays win probabilities and projected finishing positions. These metrics, calculated by an algorithm using recent performance data, are updated live during competition. Additional design updates, like moving the race clock to the bottom center of the screen, improve viewing on vertical platforms.
The Ultimate Championship will use a detailed show script instead of a traditional timetable, allocating time for key moments and enabling surprise elements and comprehensive story coverage. Coordination between broadcast and event presentation teams supports this structured approach.
More than 20 major broadcasters worldwide, including the BBC (UK), NBCUniversal (US), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), L’Équipe (France), CPSL (Caribbean), Polsat (Poland), and TBS (Japan), will provide live coverage, ensuring a broad global platform for this new competition format.