IMG to represent PTO Media Rights for new T100 Triathlon World Tour
March 7, 2024
London, UK/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) today announced it has extended its agreement with IMG, a global sports, events and representation company, to exclusively negotiate and distribute the media rights for its T100 Triathlon World Tour until 2026.
The deal will see IMG manage the broadcast deals for the eight T100 races in markets across Asia, Australasia, Africa, North America (excluding the US) and LATAM, as well as free-to-air rights across Europe.
The newly rebranded and expanded T100 Triathlon World Tour will see 40 of the world’s highest ranked athletes – 20 women and 20 men – compete in eight 100km (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) international races across three continents each year. Starting with the Miami T100 at CLASH Endurance Miami on March 9, the tour will then visit Singapore (13-14 April), San Francisco (8-9 June), London (27-28 July), Ibiza (28-29 September), Lake Las Vegas (19-20 October) and Dubai (16-17 November), before culminating in the Grand Final on November 29-30.
It was also recently announced that the T100 Triathlon World Tour will take place in San Francisco at the iconic Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in a partnership with IMG. Since the first race in 1981, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon has hosted top professional and amateur triathletes, drawing more than 2,000 intrepid triathletes to San Francisco year after year.
Last season, the PTO delivered on its goal to bring longer distance triathlon to a broader audience with a global live TV and streaming audience of 24.6 million for its three races in Ibiza, Milwaukee and Singapore, through multiple top-tier broadcast partnerships that saw it broadcast in 195+ territories around the world.
“Our extension with IMG represents a significant validation for the PTO on its journey to take triathlon into the mainstream,” said PTO CEO Sam Renouf. “Not only is it a fantastic endorsement of our partnership over the last few years, but also of the PTO’s strategy for the T100 Triathlon World Tour – a new ‘made-for-TV’ 100km triathlon tour in iconic locations around the globe. The positive reaction from broadcasters and fans to the PTO’s progress has encouraged us to expand the series to 8 races, in order to create season-long narratives, culminating in the crowning of an official men’s and women’s World Champion. IMG has represented the PTO’s media rights since 2001, contributing to the growth and development of the endurance sports landscape and specifically working to establish the property as the F1 for endurance sport.”
Rebecca Levin, Vice President, North America for IMG’s media business, added: “The T100 Triathlon World Tour represents the pinnacle of endurance sport with a new, season-long schedule of high-quality races featuring the world’s best endurance athletes. We’re excited to extend our partnership and continue working together to elevate professional triathlon on a global sporting stage, connect with new audiences worldwide and drive further commercial growth.”
IMG represents international media rights for some of the world’s biggest sporting organisations, including the NFL, NWSL, EuroLeague, Betfred Super League, Eredivisie, Belgian Pro League, A-League, Saudi Pro League, CONMEBOL, Concacaf, the R&A, the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open.
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About IMG
IMG is a global sports, events and representation company. It is a leader in rights management, multi-channel content production and distribution, consultancy and fan engagement; owns, produces and commercially represents hundreds of live events and experiences; and manages licensing programs for the world’s best-known brands and trademarks. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.
About the Professional Triathletes Organisation
The PTO is a sports body that is co-owned by its professional athletes, seeking to elevate and grow the sport of triathlon and take it to the next level. The T100 Triathlon World Tour is the new name for the PTO Tour and has been designated by World Triathlon as the ‘official World Championship for long distance triathlon’. It will be a season-long schedule of eight T100 races during 2024 that will be competed over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run) and will feature the world’s best triathletes going head-to-head in Miami (9 March), Singapore (13-14 April), San Francisco (8-9 June), London (27-28 July), Ibiza (28-29 September) , Lake Las Vegas (19-20 October), Dubai (16-17 November) and at the Grand Final (29-30 November). There will be racing opportunities for amateurs at all the events, including the new 100km distance at six stages, including: Singapore, London, Ibiza, Lake Las Vegas, Dubai and at the Grand Final. The broadcast will follow the 2023 PTO Tour model which showed races live around the world in 195+ territories, courtesy of the PTO’s partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery as well as a range of other international, regional and local broadcasters.
Media contacts
IMG: Jo Robertson | +44 7392 088227 | Joanna.robertson@img.com
PTO: Anthony Scammell | +44 7714 340 525 | anthony.scammell@protriathletes.org