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Forbes
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Grand Slam Track's Inaugural Season Is Complete. Here's What They Got Right, And What Needs Improving
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 31: Blocks sit on the track on Day 1 of Grand Slam Track- ... More Philadelphia at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania on May 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) Grand Slam Track's inaugural season ended earlier than expected in June when the start-up league, an innovative approach to the professional track and field landscape featuring Olympic athletes and backed by a reported $30 million in investment, announced the cancellation of its final meet on the calendar in Los Angeles. Citing economic drivers, Grand Slam Track adjusted on the fly and announced its decision to move ahead toward 2026, closing its first chapter. With the decision, the league saved over $3 million in costs, from prize money, to meet and event management, to travel costs for athletes and staff. Grand Slam Track's first season included meets in three continental cities, from Kingston, Jamaica; to Miami, Florida; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 'We launched with a bold vision to reimagine professional track racing and we could not be more excited about what we have accomplished so far, delivering amazing races to a rabid fan base,' Grand Slam Track commissioner Michael Johnson said in a statement. 'As we've said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league.' But while the league delivered on its promise to change track and field's structure and bring high-level competition to the market on a more consistent basis, questions remain, from the long-term viability of its operation, to optimal presentation for both fans and athletes. Year one featured some ups and downs for Grand Slam Track. Here are three things that worked and three things that need improvement for 2026. PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the United States is seen after ... More finishing the Women's 100 Meters, part of the Women's Short Hurdles group, on Day Two of the Grand Slam Track Series at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on June 1, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The Good: A Highly-Professionalized League For Track And Field Athletes We'll give Grand Slam Track credit for being laser-focused on its premise. While it invited critics when it announced it would be devoid of field events, the league showcased extremely competitive fields across various racing disciplines over three meets, from the sprints to the hurdles, middle distance, and distance events. The league ultimately got the results it desired, from an American record in the 100 meter hurdles by Olympic champion Masai Russell, to world leads in various other distances. Racing, it turned out, bred fast times, and it produced some truly fanatical finishes – from a wild upset in the men's middle distance category in Jamaica by Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi, to superb moments in the men's short hurdles in Miami by Trey Cunningham, to sprint repeats by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek in Philadelphia. It also saw a rare moment from Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who raced down in her final meet, competing in her first 100 meter race in eight years. The multiple-time Olympic champion and world record-holder in the 400 meter hurdles ultimately finished second in the women's short hurdles category. What's more, Johnson's league also brought professionalism to track and field. Offering guaranteed salaries to 'racers,' along with athlete ambassador fees, Grand Slam Track brought meritocracy to a sport often lacking consistent wages to the sport's best athletes. The Bad: Grand Slam Track's Inaugural Year Was Hampered By A Meet Cancellation And Mid-Year Adjustments It's hard to look past the optics of a cancellation. The last meet set for Los Angeles was, in many ways, supposed to close out the first year with a bang. Instead, it came with a whimper. One source told Front Office Sports the league was looking for a new strategic investor. Perhaps that came just a few days later. On June 18, Grand Slam Track announced a new partnership with Sundial Media & Technology Group, a creative digital media and entertainment platform home to brands like Refinery29 and Essence. Following a poorly-attended meet in Jamaica and a packed audience in Miami – though the Ansin Sports Complex had a maximum capacity of 5,000 seats – the league cut a full day from its schedule, going from three days to two in Philadelphia. That decision ultimately led to the elimination of the 5,000 meters, with Johnson eliminating the race after showings, he said, which did not fit the league's standards. 'We felt the two-race concept wasn't working as well,' Johnson told reporters after the Philadelphia meet. The decision also cut just over $250,000 in prize money from the distance category. When pressed on the decision, Johnson added: 'I mean, you just have to watch them.' While attendance was much higher in Philadelphia, featuring fans that were spread across the grandstands, the stadium was not sold-out and likely topped out at around 25,000 for two days, according to a source. The league was not without controversy, either. In Miami, a scuffle at the team hotel led to an arrest and the suspension of athlete Frank Kerley, a featured racer. The next month, a fan heckled Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas in Philadelphia, leading to that fan's banning of a betting site. PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: Nico Young of United States takes a selfie after he wins the ... More Men's 3000 meters and the Men's Long DIstance category on the second day of the third leg of the Grand Slam Track Series, held at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images) The Good: Greater Exposure For Olympic Athletes And a More Consistent Schedule Grand Slam Track was broadcast effectively, though, from daily streaming on Peacock, to linear options on the CW. Network ratings saw Grand Slam Track reach an average of 243,500 households during the Kingston event on the CW, while 249,000 households tuned in during its Miami meet, per Sports Media Watch. The CW broadcast over the league's final two days in Jamaica and Miami, while it aired each day in Philadelphia. Overall, the viewing options offered consistent access to the league and offered greater production value, from high-level commentary to built-in stories featuring the league's top stars. Few would doubt the extent to which Grand Slam Track invested into its social media department, either. The league has offered robust media content before and after meets and continues to post on social media through June. Growing its Instagram audience to 139,000 followers, X to 16,500 and YouTube to 25,200, Grand Slam Track is slowly but surely monetizing its efforts, creating supplementary revenue streams. The Bad: Middling Fan Interest At The Gate The league's biggest pain point was at the gate, where operations did not go to plan. On its debut day in Jamaica on April 4, the competition played out before a stadium roughly one-third full. While later days improved on that outcome – as Grand Slam Track incentivized audiences with free tickets – it likely did not generate additional revenue from gate receipts. And with economic forces – which most likely is escalating costs – driving the cancellation of its Los Angeles meet, the league certainly will need to improve on its strategy heading into 2026. The schedule played a role on that first day, with an early evening start time contributing to late arrivals at the Independence Park complex. Curiously, the league's decision to host meets across a wide variety of facilities also contributed to its uneven showing. Capacity for National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica (35,000); the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida; (5,000), Franklin Field (52,593) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Drake Stadium at UCLA in Los Angeles (11,700) all featured varying facility features. The Good: A Total of Just Over $9 Million In Prize Money Was Awarded To Racers Without investment, sports like track and field will struggle to survive. And when Grand Slam Track was unveiled in June 2024, it announced a reported $30 million in financial commitments, mainly from Winner's Alliance, a commercial and athlete licensing company anchored in sports properties. Later, Billionaire Robert F. Smith, the chairman and founder of Vista Equity, joined on the league's board. Just over $9 million was handed out to competitors over three meets, including 'Racer of the Year' paydays to Jefferson-Wooden and Bednarek, each carrying an extra $100,000 distinction. Athletes without contracts, meanwhile – such as Jacory Patterson, who worked with UPS on the side to support his professional track hustle – proved their worth to wider audiences. Patterson earned the respect of his peers and decision-makers after running 43.98 seconds for 400 meters, later signing with Nike. In the end, those opportunities are what will have a lasting impact for those involved. PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: American former Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson, the ... More founder and CEO of Grand Slam Track, introduces winners in every category, affter two days of competition of the Grand Slam Track Series in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images) The Bad: An Uncertain Future For Grand Slam Track The flip side to opportunity, however, will be just how long it will last. Following the league's Los Angeles cancellation – which came not after Grand Slam announced the decision but because news was broken – Johnson reaffirmed his ambitions toward Year 2. 'The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but it's one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out in this pilot season,' he said, 'and the importance of looking towards 2026 and beyond.' Johnson added: 'The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world's premier track league.' Johnson added that the league is in discussions with new venues for the coming season and believes Los Angeles, which remains its homebase, will be an important calendar event in future years.
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
'We need an actual season' — Redditor shares track and field reform ideas ahead of LA28
The final Grand Slam track that was supposed to happen in Los Angeles was cancelled due to financial issues. The organisers of the athletic event, which was backed by Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, admitted that they would now wish to focus on improving the series for next year's run. With this announcement, a Redditor expressed his thoughts regarding the future of track and field in the United States. He said in his post, ' The LA Olympics in 2028 are coming up soon, so the time is now for US track & field to make some big changes to the sport to make it more popular. ' The posts include three main points on how he thinks the sport can reach a broader audience of sports fans. Firstly, he stated that it would be nice to have an 'actual season of track.' The Redditor explaine d, 'Right now, there's not really a track season, as you just need to qualify by time for US Champs. If we created a centralised professional league that combines Diamond League/Grand Slam Track/USATF events all into one points system league, this could make events have more meaning and get casual fans to tune in.' He also admitted that 'extending the post-season' would also be a solution. He added, ' US Champs is selling itself short by having 10 straight days of action. Instead, we should look to extend the US Champs period to three straight weekends with prelims, semis, and finals happening in separate weekends. All other major sports leagues have lengthy playoff periods, and championship racing should be extended too to allow for more peak viewing time.' Lastly, he suggested that having 'new event formats' can help as well. He further discussed, 'If you think about it, most professional sports leagues have All-Star games, or fun, exciting formats such as dunk contests or home run derbies that showcase their sport in a fun new setting. Track should do the same to allow celebrities to participate in the sport, and create new fun formats such as elimination-style internal races, which can get more casual fans to tune in.' See also Pope Leo spills his tennis secret to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Other Redditors expressed their opinions on these suggestions. One user commented, 'Extending US champs is a no-go. The reason you have everything compact and within a three-day span is that it weeds out the one-off racers who can't make it through the rounds. If you use the format you propose, then we could potentially have one hit wonders make the team, and when the Olympics or world champs come, they won't survive the rounds.' Another Redditor said, ' Making the meet three weekends long is just in no way realistic.' One more commenter said, 'Track is what it is… a hugely popular participation sport but a niche sport at the national and professional level. I'd love for it to be more popular, but I don't think we should realistically ever hope that it's going to be a major sport, and that's okay.'
Independent Singapore
14-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Grand Slam Track finals cancelled, organizers to secure new investors and partnerships for 2026
Photo: Freepik CALIFORNIA, USA: The final event of the Grand Slam Track (GST), an athletic event backed by Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, has been cancelled. The fourth and last meeting was initially scheduled from Jun 27 to 29 in Los Angeles. It was reported that the cancellation was due to financial difficulties, and Johnson announced that the organizers will now shift their focus to planning and improving the athletic series for next year's season. The GST founder and commissioner expressed: 'The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world's premier track league… Our attention is now on 2026.' GST's inaugural season this year The first year of the Grand Slam Track started in Kingston, Jamaica (Apr 4 to 6), and was followed by events in Miami, Florida (May 2 to 4), and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 31 to Jun 1). Although the final meet at Drake Stadium will not take place, the organizers have admitted that the first three meetings were a success. Now, they are set to announce that new investors will help fund GST's second season. Johnson's stated that they have ' successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season.' Furthermore, he added: 'We launched with a bold vision to reimagine professional track racing, and we could not be more excited about what we have accomplished so far… As we've said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve.' 'Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league.' Some of the top athletes have signed multi-year contracts with the Grand Slam Track, and this secures their participation for future seasons. Moreover, the league plans to announce new investors and partners soon. In a social media post made by Grand Slam Track, the league announced that all fans who purchased tickets for the Los Angeles meet will receive a refund. It was said in the caption: 'For those of you who had already purchased tickets for the LA Slam, thank you! You will be issued an automatic refund… We hope you'll join us next season ❤️.' See also Big holes in pockets for World Cup Qatar fans Netizens have mixed reactions in the comments section. Some remarked: 'I was so soooo looking forward to this,' 'Soooo disappointed! Please revamp and come back to LA next year!' 'Shout out GST LA on making history for being the first Slam to get cancelled 🔥🔥,' and 'Are you going to refund my hotel and flights, too?'.
Washington Post
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
A new league gave track stars a financial cushion, and more uncertainty
Before Kenny Bednarek joined Grand Slam Track, he had become one of the most accomplished sprinters of his era. He won silver medals in the 200 meters at the past two Olympics. He reached the 100-meter final in Paris. Just seven men ever have run halfway around a track faster. For all his achievements, it took the league started this year by Olympic legend Michael Johnson for Bednarek to reach a new level of financial stability. Bednarek dominated the series and earned $400,000 in prize money, already roughly double what he would make in a typical year. Even before this year's national and world championships, Bednarek set aside money for investments he could not have made in past years.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Michael Johnson speaks out on Grand Slam Track's future amid meet cancellation
Michael Johnson 's Grand Slam Track is cancelling its fourth and final meet of the inaugural season in Los Angeles to avoid major financial losses. The economics of the LA event and Grand Slam Track's deal with UCLA had become financially unviable, leading to the decision to cancel. New investors are expected to be announced next week, and organisers believe making the best short-term financial decision is key to the project's long-term outlook. The Los Angeles leg will not be replaced, but organisers are confident that Grand Slam Track will continue in 2026, with LA likely to be on the circuit. Ticket sales have been slow, and sponsorship and broadcast revenues have not met expectations, with the cancellation saving organisers around £2.2m in prize money and travel expenses. Michael Johnson explains why he cancelled Grand Slam Track meet in LA
