After sticking to its motto and signing the fastest athletes in the world to its league, Grand Slam Track just announced its next big move to set itself up for success in its inaugural season. The revolutionary track league is set to be broadcast on The CW and streamed on Peacock for its 2025 season.

Why Is This Important?

As much fun as it can be to experience sporting events in person, that isn’t always a feasible option for fans. Having accessible and affordable streaming options is the best way to reach a larger fan base and, in some ways, immortalize your event. It’s also an excellent promotion tool.

Even before Grand Slam Track began to sign more elite athletes, many track and field fans inquired about where they could stream the league and potentially watch their favorite athletes compete in frequent head-to-head competitions. After a long wait, fans finally have their answer.

However, what is the significance behind these broadcast services in particular? Firstly, the Diamond League, currently track and field’s premier series of competition, used to be streamed on Peacock. Fans could watch their favorite athletes for under $10 a month without hassle and extensive financial burden. In April last year, the Diamond League announced it would be moving its streaming services to FloTrack. FloTrack costs $30 monthly to access its various services, such as competition live streams, news, meet results, and more. Additionally, for those who don’t have streaming services or cable, The CW is readily available in various U.S. areas through antenna TV.

The $20 price difference could become a deal breaker for those who may have to choose what they can afford to keep up with.

Another thought to consider is that NBC is home to all Olympic-based track and field content in America, which means that Grand Slam Track will be in a place that already knows how to cater to track fans. Additionally, since NBC is based in the U.S., non-American fans may have difficulty accessing the GST live stream on Peacock.

While it may be easy to tell track fans to buy a subscription to FloTrack and Peacock if they want to keep up with both leagues, the price may be too much compared to what you get. This is especially important to consider when analyzing the steady increase in prices on all streaming platforms in general. With FloTrack, you pay $30 a month from April to August and can watch all 14 Diamond League races and field event competitions. With GST, you pay about $30 in total from April to June to watch all four Slams, which, per league structure, does not include field events.

With a Peacock subscription, you can get track and indulge in your other television interests within or outside of sports. FloTrack would cost $30 a month to only consume track content, which may not be a solid deal for casual or new viewers.

How Will The Streaming Work?

The dates and locations for each Slam will be Kingston, Jamaica, from April 4th to 6th; Miami, Florida, from May 2nd to May 4th; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 30th to June 1st; and Los Angeles, California, from June 27th to 29th. The first day of each Slam will only be streamed on Peacock, while the final two days of each Slam will be streamed on Peacock and broadcast on The CW.

More details about the schedule are on the Grand Slam Track website.

What’s Next?

After this announcement, what’s next for the Grand Slam Track team to tackle? Some fans took to X and questioned if GST had any plans to sign deals for international broadcasting or streaming coverage. There is currently no word on whether that may be a plan for the future. Securing American partnerships may have been the priority, considering almost half the Racers are American. Non-American fans will have to wait and see if GST announces any plans for international accessibility.

Next on the list would be solidifying their list of Challengers. Challengers are the four athletes in each event group who will compete against the Racers and have a chance at earning the $100,000 prize. Racers are athletes signed to the league that earn a base pay in addition to possible prize money. Since all the spots for the Racers are filled, picking elite Challengers will be of the utmost importance. Some track and field fans believe that for GST to push itself into mainstream popularity, they need to sign athletes such as Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles, who are arguably track and field’s biggest stars. Although they are not contracted as Racers, they do still have the ability to be Challengers if an offer is extended and they accept.

Last year, in an interview with ESPN, Lyles expressed some of his feelings about Grand Slam Track.

“The problem with our sport right now is we have great performances, but nobody is able to see it,” said Lyles. “So until I’m able to hear that TV sponsor, I don’t know that I can make a decision on that yet, because we could have the greatest performances at the Grand Slam Track, but if a tree falls in the middle of the woods and nobody’s there to see it, did it fall?”

Although Lyles has not directly commented about the GST announcement, he did repost about it on X. Considering Lyles’ commitment to elevating track and field by putting it in spaces that provide more visibility and the fact that he’s done a docuseries on NBC, it would not be surprising if he eventually decided to join a Slam as a Challenger.

Kyle Merber, GST’s senior director of athletes and racing, has already hinted on X about some the Challengers he’s secured. What can viewers expect? More Olympic and world champions.