• Nearly 400 athletes will compete over three nights to become the ultimate champions.
• Competitions include the 100m, pole vault and the new mixed 4x100m relay.
• Athletes compete for a share of the $10 million prize pool, including $150,000 for the ultimate champions.

World Athletics has named Tata Communications and HBS as host broadcaster for the new Ultimate World Athletics Championship which will light up the National Athletics Center in Budapest and screens around the world in 2026.

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

HBS brings years of experience as a world-class host broadcaster to the World Athletics product, leading efforts to innovate and expand audiences around the exciting launch of the new Ultimate Championship event and across all World Athletics events Series over the five-year cycle. .

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

The World Ultimate Athletics Championship is a revolutionary new global event set to transform the athletics calendar and define which athlete is the best of the best. The inaugural edition of this sensational sporting showdown will take place over three evenings of thrilling action from September 11-13, 2026 in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

With a focus on enhancing the viewing experience – both at home and in the stadium – the Ultimate World Athletics Championship will introduce a new, rapidly evolving format of athletics. Held every two years to meet World Athletics’ ambition to stage a world championship every year, the event will provide a spectacular conclusion to the summer athletics season, in years when there are no World Championships. world of athletics.

Each session will last less than three hours, with athletes representing themselves and their national teams, wearing national equipment. The event will be an accelerator of 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 our fans athletics like they’ve never seen it before – with the best of the best athletes in our sport competing in a passion-fueled, high-octane festival of sports, with its , light and innovation. .

“We are also delighted to announce Tata Communications and HBS as host broadcasters. They have unrivaled experience delivering world-class live content across multiple platforms and will deliver an innovative and engaging product to our audiences around the world, one that broadcasters are already excited about while our highly experienced media partner and talented Infront is embarking on its role of selling rights with a focus on free platforms.

State Secretary for Sports Adam Schmidt said: “It is a great honor that after the exciting World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, the wonderful National Athletics Center will once again open its doors for an international sporting event. major.

“We are delighted to welcome the sport’s best back to Budapest for the Ultimate Athletics World Championship. In recent years, Budapest has become a true sports capital. I am convinced that this new event will provide unforgettable sporting moments for sports fans around the world, in addition to promoting athletics in Hungary. What an honor to be considered an important partner by World Athletics, we are grateful for this trust. Our main objective in organizing international sporting events is to ensure that a large number of our citizens know and love sports through the performances of the greatest heroes and integrate regular physical activities into their daily lives. I am sure that the Ultimate World Athletics Championship will help us in this mission.

Dhaval Ponda, Vice President of Tata Communications and Global Head of Media, added: “Tata Communications is delighted to partner with World Athletics for the Ultimate Championship, a revolutionary addition to the global athletics calendar. The latest collaboration marks a new era in fan engagement, one that will deliver a more immersive, energetic and unprecedented visual experience. We are excited to bring the exceptional athleticism and drama of this unique and innovative format to billions of people around the world, pushing the boundaries of what sports broadcast technology can achieve.

“The Ultimate Championship is poised to bring new energy to athletics, engaging audiences around the world in a new and exciting way,” said Julien Ternisien, senior vice president of summer sports. and winter from Infront. “We are excited to bring our experience and expertise to this historic event, continuing our partnership with World Athletics alongside the Diamond League to push the boundaries of how sport is presented and consumed.”

“We are very excited and honored to begin this new project with World Athletics. This is a real opportunity to help shape the way athletics coverage will evolve in the years to come – and the fact that the new Ultimate Championship being involved in this mission adds an additional level of interest,” said Dan Miodownik, CEO of HBS.

“Our partnership with Tata Communications brings together a major leader in communications technology and infrastructure with host broadcast experts, and we believe this perfect match will combine with World Athletics’ ambitious vision. Our selection of long-time athletics experts, NCP, as our on-air editorial partner, ensures that we will deliver unparalleled entertainment, through world-class coverage, to athletics fans around the world, while attracting new audiences on traditional and new media platforms.

Disciplines revealed

In the battle to determine the champion of champions, the world’s best athletes will compete in 28 events spread over three nights of competition. Settle the debate in 16 disciplines, the program will include 26 individual events – 16 in athletics and 10 in field – as well as two relays, including the new mixed 4x100m.

Ultimate World Athletics Championship disciplines:

Jon Ridgeon, CEO of World Athletics, said: “The Ultimate Championship has been developed to bring together the best athletes in our sport in a selection of events that bring the athletics stadium to life and allow the spectator to see every race, every jump and every throw. three evenings of unmissable “made for Television” competition.

“The Ultimate Championship is also an opportunity for us to truly innovate in the way we deliver our sport, presenting it in new formats and on different platforms specifically designed to keep the entire site engaged, guaranteeing constant and rapid enthusiasm.”

The Ultimate Athletics World Championship will be the culmination of the 2026 athletics season, to define which athlete is the best of the best – pitting world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and athletes against each other the best performers of the year. to crown the ultimate champion.

The stakes are high. These athletes will all compete for their share of a record $10 million prize pool, the largest ever offered in athletics – with champions set to receive $150,000. Enhanced partnerships and promotional rights for athletes will also open up greater financial opportunities for stars and the sport.

Olympic pole vault champion and world record holder Mondo Duplantis said: “There’s nothing like competing in front of a live crowd. Anyone who knows me or has seen me compete knows that’s where I thrive. The new ultimate championship in 2026 will be the ultimate pinnacle in a year where we will have no world championships or Olympics. Even with fewer events, there will still be 26 individual events taking place over just three nights – the pace will be crazy. It’ll be time to fly, so strap in and tune in.

Gabby Thomas, who won gold in the 200m, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, said: “Competing against the best in the world is always a privilege. This new event in 2026 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 will allow us to focus on the championship, and that’s what the Ultimate Athletics World Championship does. I remember the incredible crowd in Budapest during the 2023 World Championships, so I can’t wait to race for gold in 2026.”

The best in the world return to Budapest

Three years after hosting the most successful World Athletics Championships in history, the Hungarian capital Budapest will once again welcome the stars of the sport.

The first Ultimate Athletics World Championships will be held at the National Athletics Center in Budapest, specially built for the Budapest 23 World Athletics Championships.

Located on the east bank of the Danube, south of the city, the National Athletics Center will provide the ideal stage for almost 400 athletes from around 70 countries to compete for Ultimate Championship honors.

Each event will highlight groups comprising between eight and 16 of the world’s top-ranked athletes per discipline, with selections based primarily on world rankings.

With no limit on the number of stars from each country who can compete in each event, it’s not just about where the athletes come from. It’s about where they end up.

World Athletics