India’s latest premier sports network, Sports18 has acquired broadcast rights for the Wanda Diamond League event until 2024. This new collaboration will kick off today i.e. May 13 with live coverage of the Doha Diamond League meeting.
Along with Sports18, the event will also be streamed live on Viacom18’s OTT platform, Voot.
The Diamond League is the most renowned track and field series, ranking first in the World Athletics one-day meeting competitions. The 2022 Diamond League will consist of 13 meetings, commencing with the Doha event and concluding with the two-day Diamond League Final in Zurich which will be held on September 7 and 8.
It consists of 32 Diamond Disciplines arranged in a championship-style model. Athletes accumulate points at meetings to qualify for their discipline’s final. Athletes are awarded 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 point for placing first through eighth in each series meeting. The top six in field events, the top eight in 100m-800m, and the top ten in 1500m and long distances progress to the final.
The champion of every Diamond Discipline at the final will be awarded the title “Diamond League Champion”. Moreover, the winners will also obtain an iconic Diamond Trophy as well as a wild card to the World Athletics Championships.
Viacom18 Sports, CEO, Anil Jayaraj, said, “The Diamond League series is not just a competition of the most elite athletes in the world but also a breeding ground for the future stars. The addition of live athletics coverage reiterates our commitment to provide fans with a comprehensive array of world-class sports events.”
Diamond League AG CEO, Petr Stastny, commented, “We are absolutely delighted seeing our global premier track & field series accessible to the fans in India through Sports18. Our competitions feature the world’s best female and male athletes throughout the entire season, including reigning Olympic champions and a host of Olympic and World medallists.”
The Diamond League joins Sports18’s portfolio of topmost sporting events, which already contains the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, NBA, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and top ATP and BWF events.