Host Broadcaster Tata Communications and HBS will present the Ultimate Championship with full list of disciplines announced | PRESS RELEASES

• Almost 400 athletes will compete over three nights to become the overall champions.
• Events include the 100m dash, pole vault and the new 4x100m medley relay.
• Athletes compete for a share of a $10 million prize fund, with $150,000 going to the overall champions.

World Athletics has appointed Tata Communications and HBS as organizers of the new World Athletics Championships, which will be illuminated by the Budapest National Athletics Center and broadcast worldwide in 2026.

The agreement builds on the five-year global broadcast services agreement covering World Athletics Series events announced between World Athletics and Tata Communications in June.

HBS brings its decades of experience as a leading world-class broadcaster to the World Athletics product, driving innovation and viewership growth with the exciting launch of the new Ultimate Championship tournament and across all World Athletics Series events over a five-year cycle. .

World Athletics has also appointed Infront to lead the sale of international media rights for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, working in close partnership with World Athletics on a new and coordinated approach to promoting the made-for-TV event.

The IAAF World Championships is a ground-breaking new global event designed to change the athletics calendar and determine who the best athletes are. The first sensational sporting event will take place over three nights of exciting action from 11-13 September 2026 in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

Focused on enhancing the viewing experience – both at home and in the stadium – the World Athletics Championships will showcase a new, rapidly evolving format for athletics. The event, held every two years to further World Athletics’ ambition to host an annual World Championships, will provide an impressive end to the summer athletics season in years when World Athletics Championships are not held.

Each session will last less than three hours, with athletes representing both themselves and their national teams in national uniforms. The event will be an accelerator for innovation in athletics using data collected across the sport.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “This new global event will be a game changer for our sport and for our athletes. We want to bring athletics to our fans like they’ve never seen before, with the best of the best athletes in our sport competing against each other in a passionate, high-octane festival of sports with sound, lights and innovation. .

“We are also pleased to announce Tata Communications and HBS as leading broadcasters. They have an unparalleled track record of delivering world-class live content across multiple platforms and will bring an innovative and compelling product to our audiences around the world, a product that is already generating interest from broadcasters as our highly experienced and talented media partner Infront embarks on implementation of your strategy. role in rights sales with a focus on free-to-air platforms.”

Secretary of State for Sport Adam Schmidt said: “I am honored that, following the exciting World Athletics Championships in Budapest 23, the wonderful National Athletics Center will once again open its doors for a major international sporting event.

“We are delighted to welcome the sport’s finest back to Budapest for the World Athletics Championships. Budapest has become a real sports capital in recent years. I am confident that this new event will provide unforgettable sporting moments for sports fans around the world and will also contribute to the promotion of athletics in Hungary. What an honor we are to be considered an important partner of World Athletics, we are grateful for this trust. Our main goal in organizing international sporting events is to ensure that many of our fellow citizens learn and love sports through the performances of our greatest heroes, and also incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives. I am confident that the World Athletics Championships will help us in this mission.”

Dhaval Ponda, Tata Communications Vice President and Head of Global Media, added: “Tata Communications is thrilled to partner with World Athletics for the Ultimate Championship, an innovative addition to the global athletics calendar. The latest collaboration heralds a new era of fan engagement that will deliver a more immersive, energetic and unparalleled viewing experience. We are excited to showcase the exceptional athleticism and drama of this unique and innovative format to billions of people around the world, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in sports broadcasting technology.”

“The Ultimate Championships is designed to inject fresh energy into athletics, engaging audiences around the world in a new and exciting way,” said Julien Ternisien, Infront’s senior vice president of summer and winter sports. “We are excited to bring our experience and expertise to this landmark event, continuing our partnership with World Athletics alongside the Diamond League to expand the boundaries of exposure and consumption of the sport.”

“We are very excited and proud to begin this new project with World Athletics. This is a real opportunity to help shape the path forward for athletics coverage in the coming years—and the new Ultimate Championship’s involvement in that mission adds an extra layer of excitement,” said HBS CEO Dan Miodaunic.

“Our partnership with Tata Communications brings together a major leader in communications technology and infrastructure with experts in host broadcasting, and we believe this will be a perfect combination to align with World Athletics’ ambitious vision. Our selection of NCP’s long-time athletics experts as our live editorial partner ensures that we will provide unparalleled entertainment through world-class coverage to athletics fans around the world, while also reaching new audiences across traditional and new media platforms.”

Disciplines are open

The battle to determine the champion of champions will see the world’s best athletes compete in 28 events over three nights of competition. The program will feature 26 individual events (16 track and field and 10 running), as well as two relays, including the new 4x100m medley.

World Athletics Championship disciplines:

• 100 m	• Pole vault
• 200 m	• High jump
• 400 m	• Long jump
• 800 m	• Triple Jump (W)
• 1500 m.	• Hammer (M)
• 5000 m	• Javelin
• 100/110 m hurdles	• Mixed 4x100m race.
• 400m hurdles	• Mixed 4x400m competition.

World Athletics CEO John Ridgeon said: “The Ultimate Championship was designed to bring together the very best athletes in our sport in a series of events that bring the athletics stadium to life and allow spectators to see every run, jump and throw. three evenings of an unforgettable “Made for Television” competition.

“The Ultimate Championship also gives us the opportunity to truly innovate in the way we present our sport, presenting it in new formats and across different platforms that are specifically designed to keep the action alive throughout the stadium, ensuring constant and dynamic excitement.”

The IAAF World Championships will be the culmination of the 2026 athletics season to determine who the best athletes are, with world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year’s top athletes competing against each other. crown the absolute champion.

The stakes are high. All of these athletes will compete for their share of the record US$10 million prize fund, the largest ever offered in athletics, with the champions receiving US$150,000. The partnership and expanded advertising rights for athletes will also open up greater financial opportunities for stars and sports.

Olympic pole vault champion and world record holder Mondo Duplantis said: “There is nothing like competing in front of a live crowd. Anyone who knows me or has seen me perform knows that this is where I thrive. The new Absolute Championship in 2026 will be the maximum achievement in a year when we will not have a World Championship or Olympic Games. Even if there are fewer tournaments, there will still be 26 separate competitions taking place over just three nights – the pace will be insane. It’s time to fly, so buckle up and tune in.”

Gabby Thomas, who won gold in the 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, said: “It is always a privilege to compete against the best in the world. This new 2026 event will be incredible and will give top athletes the opportunity to compete at a major championship in a non-Olympic or World Championship year. It’s great to have an event in 2026 that gives us the opportunity to focus on the championship, and the World Athletics Ultimate Championship does that. “I remember the amazing crowd in Budapest at the 2023 World Championships, so I’m looking forward to competing for gold in 2026.”

The best in the world is back in Budapest

Three years after hosting arguably the most successful World Athletics Championships in history, the Hungarian capital Budapest will once again host the sport’s stars.

The first World Athletics Championships will take place at the Budapest National Athletics Centre, specially built for the Budapest 23 World Athletics Championships.

The National Athletics Centre, located on the eastern bank of the Danube River in the southern part of the city, will be the ideal venue for nearly 400 athletes from around 70 countries to compete for Ultimate Championship honours.

Each competition will feature a field of eight to 16 of the world’s best athletes in each discipline, with selection based primarily on world rankings.

Since there is no limit to the number of stars from each country that can compete in each competition, it is not just a matter of where the athletes are from. It’s about where they end.

World Athletics