The New York Decathlon this year will be televised for the first time in its eight-year history after a partnership with NBC Sports Network. (Photo credit: Zach Delune)
The cable TV agreement is the latest growth for The Decathlon, which has raised more than $6 million for pediatric cancer research since 2009 and this year is expanding to Boston, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco.
The New York Decathlon has deep Wall Street ties and is the flagship event in the series, which in 2017 will also expand overseas.
“It’s going to dramatically increase awareness, but I think it also creates understanding,” Decathlon founder Dave Maloney said in an interview. “There are plenty of people who know about the Decathlon, but don’t quite understand it. When you see it, it clicks and you say, `Wow, I see what’s going on here.’”
The TV partnership is a noteworthy step for The Decathlon, bringing increased exposure to an event seeking to model the international growth and popularity of a series such as Ironman triathlons. The Decathlon plugs into a similar ultra-competitive, white-collar professional demographic, while offering an athletic option that isn’t strictly endurance-based.
This year’s New York Decathlon, which is targeted to the city’s financial community and features male and female competitors ranging in age from 22 to 67, is scheduled for June 11 at St. John’s University.
The one-hour, taped television coverage of the event will air on NBC Sports Network two weeks later at 1 p.m., with 30 minutes devoted to the individual competition and another half-hour to the team event.
“If nothing else, it’s undoubtedly entertaining,” Maloney said. “This stuff used to be on television, sort of like the`Wide World of Sports.’ There’s this whole generation that misses that content and there’s a whole generation that’s never been exposed to it. The Decathlon — and I think NBC would agree — it’s going to resonate.”
Republished with permission Erik Matuszewski original author and forbes.com the original publisher.