Infront is supporting the global launch of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship through the international distribution of media rights, bringing the new premium athletics competition to a worldwide audience alongside an enhanced broadcast experience.
As exclusive international media rights partner, Infront has worked alongside World Athletics to ensure the inaugural championship enjoys extensive coverage, helping to establish a global platform for the new competition format.
Infront was appointed as the exclusive international media rights partner for the Ultimate in 2025, leading the worldwide distribution of broadcast rights outside selected host territories.
The championship has been developed with television and digital audiences at its core, bringing together a series of broadcast, presentation and competition innovations designed to make athletics more engaging for fans across every screen. HBS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infront, will deliver host broadcast services on behalf of host broadcaster Tata Communications, ensuring that every moment of the Ultimate Championship is captured and presented to the highest standards.
Among the broadcast enhancements are an all-new graphics package featuring augmented reality, athlete headshots and richer performance data, alongside live win probabilities and projected finishing positions generated through real-time performance modelling. Broadcast workflows have also been optimised for digital consumption, including graphic positioning that improves viewing on vertical platforms.
The inaugural edition will take place across three evenings in Budapest, Hungary, featuring the world’s best athletes in 28 finals and a record-breaking $10 million prize fund. Over 20 live broadcasters have been secured around the world so far, including the BBC (UK), NBCUniversal (US), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), L’Équipe (France), CPSL (Caribbean), Polsat (Poland) and TBS (Japan).
Jens Mennigmann, co-head of media at Infront, said: “The World Athletics Ultimate Championship has already secured extensive international coverage across every continent, reflecting the strong appetite from broadcasters for this exciting new competition. It represents an exciting step forward in how elite athletics is presented to audiences around the world. The ambition has been to create a broadcast product that feels different and modern to strengthen storytelling, embrace new viewing behaviours and give every moment greater impact. We are proud to support World Athletics in bringing this new championship to broadcasters and fans worldwide.”
Jon Ridgeon, World Athletics CEO, said: “From the beginning, the World Athletics Ultimate Championship has been designed to redefine how elite athletics is experienced by athletes, fans and broadcasters alike. Infront has been an important partner in taking that vision to audiences around the world, helping ensure the inaugural edition reaches fans on a truly global scale.”
