BEIJING, China – Universal Sports Network and NBC will partner to provide live television and online streaming coverage of the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Athletics from August 21 to 30.
The announcement was made earlier this week, with the two broadcasting powerhouses revealing that they will present more than 48 hours of live coverage. This streaming broadcast will include some 42 hours of live “premier track & field action” from the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, China, from Saturday, August 21.
Over 2,000 athletes from more than 200 countries are expected to compete at the championships, which will be staging its first major athletics championships since the 2008 Summer Olympics Games. Several track and field superstars will be on show at the championships, but none bigger than Jamaica’s world sprint double record holder Usain Bolt, who was the star man seven-years-ago at the Beijing Olympics where he won three gold medals and broke three world records, including the men’s 100m and 200m marks.
Bolt, the reigning sprint double world champion is expected to be challenged by the on form and the undefeated Justin Gatlin, who leads the world over both the 100m and 200m this season. American Tyson Gay and Jamaican former world record holder Asafa Powell, back to running close to his best, will also challenge Bolt in the sprints.
Universal Sports Network and NBC will also provide track and field supporters with the chance to see the likes of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the reigning women’s sprint double champion, Mo Farah, the 5000m and 10,000 gold medallist from two-years-ago and world record holder over 800m, David Rudisha of Kenya.
American Allyson Felix, Kirani James of Grenada, USA’s LaShawn Merritt, Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson, Ashton Eaton of USA, Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia, France’s Renaud Lavillenie, as well as Cuban Pedro Pichardo and American Christian Taylor, will also be in action.
Universal Sports live streaming coverage underway going this Friday, August 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the women’s heptathlon competition, as well as the heats of the men’s 800m, women’s 1500m, men’s 3000m steeplechase, and the men’s marathon on the road.
NBC will get going at the weekend coverage on Saturday, August 22 at 3 p.m. ET with the heats for the men’s 100m and 400m hurdles, as well as the finals for the women’s shot put and men’s 10,000m. Former Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Ato Boldon, in addition to Tom Hammond, Todd Harris, Lewis Johnson and Craig Masback will be the team calling “all evening sessions” from the Bird’s Nest for both NBC and Universal Sports.
Watch live online streaming at UniversalSports.com. Universal Sports Network and NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s – will also have live streaming action for desktops, mobile devices and tablets.
