- Wide range of innovations developed across broadcast, competition, event presentation, athlete experience and digital platforms for the inaugural edition of the global championship
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 22.07.2026) :: A series of innovations has been announced for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, from 11-13 September. With less than two months to go, the championship will finally settle the debate over who is the best of the best in athletics.
“We have said from the very beginning that we are doing things differently with the Ultimate Championship,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “These innovations offer a taste of how we intend to move the sport forward with this brand-new global championship, elevating athletics and its many stars while reimagining how fans will experience the inaugural edition.”
Broadcast
At the centre of these innovations is a thorough overhaul of the broadcast product. The championship programme was developed with a television audience at its heart, allowing for more storytelling around the athletes, while also engaging fans more effectively through digital platforms. For the first time, athletics fans had the opportunity to give their opinions on the new TV graphics and to share their experiences as viewers.
The graphics package includes updated visuals featuring augmented reality, athlete headshots, new data points, and a refreshed look and feel. Win probabilities and projected finishing positions will also form part of the broadcast, with probabilities based on an algorithm informed by previous results, weighted towards the most recent performances and updated live in real time. Other small but significant design tweaks include the race clock shifting to the bottom centre of the screen, enabling a more seamless user experience on vertical platforms.
Combining innovation with storytelling, a new viewing experience will make its debut at the Ultimate this September. Further details will be revealed soon.
The Ultimate will not follow a conventional timetable but rather a show script in which every second is accounted for. Scenario-planning between broadcast and event presentation ensures that moments of surprise and delight are captured and that no storyline will be missed.
As exclusive international media rights partner, Infront has worked alongside World Athletics to ensure the championship enjoys coverage globally, helping establish a broad platform for a new competition format that combines elite performance with an enhanced viewing experience.
More than 20 major broadcasters will be broadcasting the Ultimate live, including the BBC (United Kingdom), NBCUniversal (United States), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), L’Équipe (France), CPSL (Caribbean), Polsat (Poland) and TBS (Japan), among many others, with additional broadcasters in the final negotiation stages.
Competition and event presentation
From a competition standpoint, things will also look a little different. The field of play will be transformed by a dramatic black infield, with only the competition areas in use during the session showcased in sharp contrast, drawing fans towards the ongoing action.
A bespoke sound identity will reflect the vibe and energy of the Ultimate brand, with pole vault world record-holder Mondo Duplantis in charge of delivering the Ultimate Anthem. Live acts will ensure that each session warm-up will start with a bang and get spectators in the right mood.
For the first time ever, centre-court-style interviews will be shown in the stadium and simultaneously broadcast live on the world feed, bringing the on-site energy into the living rooms of the TV audience.
In close cooperation with world and Olympic champion Noah Lyles, World Athletics has developed new ways to present athletes pre-event and to celebrate them post-event. A full lighting rig will enhance the show character of the event and will put athletes in the spotlight.
The competition schedule has been thoughtfully shaped to maximise the impact of each discipline, with an organising principle of just one field event being contested at a time, whenever possible, to give each athlete the full attention of the audience. It will feature three sessions across three evenings, each lasting three hours. Each session will feature both a horizontal and a vertical jump, a throwing event and track finals.
There are 28 finals during the three days of competition, with straight finals in all field events, the 1500m and the 5000m; track disciplines of 800m and shorter will have semi-finals.
Athlete experience
Creating a different athlete experience was also front and centre in the design of the championship. That’s why the Ultimate Championship will begin with The Day Before, a brand-new concept that transforms the traditional pre-event press conference into an unmissable opportunity for athletes to showcase their personalities and personal sponsors, for media to access athletes in a less formal environment, and for creators and athletes to generate exclusive content.
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