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MADRID — Triathlon is taking action to try to boost its popularity, with hopes of bringing it closer to the level of tennis and golf.
A new global circuit will debut in 2027 following an alliance between the international federation and private organizers in an attempt to unify the sport that has been historically fragmented and difficult to follow because of the large number of events worldwide.
Officials are hoping the new tour will promote mass-participation events, attract new audiences and enhance the broadcast and digital storytelling of triathlon. There will be greater investment aimed at making the sport a better product for television and easier to showcase on social media in order to land bigger sponsors.
The formal announcement of the new tour is expected by the end of the month.
"Our goal is for the sport to be attractive not only for triathlon fans but to be attractive for sport fans. We need to grow the sport to be more attractive to the general public," Antonio Arimany, president of World Triathlon, said in an interview with The Associated Press.
"This is not an achievement for next year, this is a goal that we have for the next six, seven years," he added. "And we really would like to have triathlon at the level of tennis or golf. Of course, we cannot reach football or other sports because we are not a team sport, but compared to individual sports we need to find a way how we can grow in popularity."
Triathlon has traditionally been divided, with the international federation not in charge of the actual organization of events. The competitions have been mostly run by private entities such as Ironman, the biggest in the sport. World Triathlon oversees Olympic Games, world championships and the world series.
A report prepared by Deloitte highlighted the fragmentation within triathlon and the need to create a stronger and more unified competition structure.
The presence of multiple companies showed there was interest in investing in the sport, the report said, and channelling those funds to a centralized product was considered crucial. Thus the need to try to merge and create a product that is easier to commercialize and grow.
"Announcing this new blueprint for the sport is an incredibly exciting next phase of our partnership with World Triathlon and to grow the sport," said Sam Renouf, CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organization, which is co-owned and run by professional athletes. PTO manages global rankings and some of the most high-profile triathlon circuits.
"The Deloitte report's recommendation to move to a more commercially driven model was clear and aligns with the ambition to take the sport mainstream and adopt a model that many other sports have successfully followed to unlock greater value for the athletes and the whole ecosystem," Renouf said.
World Triathlon is aiming for more live broadcasts to try to strengthen international visibility. While World Triathlon has some expertise on TV broadcasting, private organizers will contribute with their knowhow on commercializing the sport.
"They can create a better branding, they can get bigger sponsors, they can sell better the TV rights, they can create a new model of events that we are going to popularize, similar to what the mayors in marathon are doing, trying to create big events," said Arimany, who is also vice president of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Prize money is expected to increase and triathletes will see more standardized branding around events, but there won't be major changes in the competitions themselves.
"This partnership is an important step towards the long-term sustainability of our sport and, crucially, towards expanding opportunities for athletes," said Non Stanford, chair of World Triathlon's athletes committee. "We look forward to the evolution of the Triathlon World Tour beyond 2027, and working closely with the PTO to develop a progressive, athlete-focused brand that respects the sport's rich heritage."
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
