With just over a month to go until the 119th running of the Boston Marathon, Beyond the Medals – The Business of Sport explores the world of marathons, focusing on the City of Boston, this Wednesday 18 March 2015 at 19:30 ET. The episode also explores the Boston 2024 bid for the Olympic Games and how the marathon fits into its plans.
Joining host Rick Horrow is guest co-host Frank Shorter, who provides expert analysis and conducts interviews. Shorter is a two-time Olympic medallist in the marathon and well known for his victory at the 1972 Munich Games that helped launch the running boom in the United States.
Wednesday’s March episode continues into April, which will further explore the business of marathons. Set for Wednesday 15 April at 19:30 ET and days before the 2015 Boston Marathon, the April episode will be highlighted by an exclusive interview between Shorter and 2014 Boston Marathon Champion Meb Keflezighi.
March episode highlights include:
- In an exclusive one-on-one interview, City of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh throws support behind the Boston 2024 bid, and what he views as a positive development that will raise the city’s global profile and bring economic benefits before, during and after the Olympics. The taped interview comes after Horrow’s conversation with John Fish, Chairman of the Boston 2024 organizing committee, which appeared in February’s episode.
- Boston Athletic Association (BAA) Executive Director Thomas Grilk and Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray cover the evolution of the world’s oldest annual marathon and the impact Meb Keflezighi’s emotional victory in 2014 has had on the community.
- A detailed look at the John Hancock Financial Services sponsorship of the Boston Marathon. The company is widely credited for reviving the event in 1986 by instituting prize money and actively recruiting elite athletes. John Hancock Assistant Vice President Rob Friedman details the partnership, its growth and value to the company.
Mayor Marty Walsh on why he supports Boston 2024… “First and foremost it’s a real opportunity to promote the city of Boston on the world stage, like we’ve never been promoted before. I think it’s a good economic benefit to the city as well. Let’s assume we get chosen for the Olympics in 2017. For the next 7 years families are going to vacation in Boston because they intend on coming back for the Olympics.”
Tom Grilk on the 2014 Boston Marathon… “What we saw here in Boston in April of 2014, a year after the horrors of April 2013, was a collective expression from everybody who was in the race, around the race, watching the race around the world, of a determination that it would be successful. It was a collective expression of will that everything was going to be good. And it was.”
Rob Friedman on John Hancock’s 30 year sponsorship of the Boston Marathon… “The unique relationship that we have with the BAA is not a sponsorship. It is truly a partnership. There haven’t been a lot of commercial aspects to it and we respect that. John Hancock was never interested in putting our name on the event…It’s sort of the Augusta of road running.”
Josh Kraft on former Patriots’ players who participate in the Boston Marathon… “It really speaks to the power of the Marathon, and how it creates that sense of community and everybody wants to be a part of it, either watching, running, or even volunteering.”
Universal Sports Network Broadcast Schedule: Beyond the Medals – The Business of Sport
All Times Eastern – subject to change
Mar. 18 7:30 p.m. Premiere – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 18 10:30 p.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 19 1:30 a.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 20 7:30 a.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 21 2 p.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 23 10 a.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 24 3 p.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 25 7:30 a.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 25 4 p.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 28 10 a.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Mar. 28 7 p.m. Encore Presentation – Episode 3: Boston 2024/Marathons
Apr. 15 7:30 p.m. Premiere – Episode 4: Boston Marathon
A Universal Sports Original Production, Beyond the Medals – The Business of Sport takes an in-depth look at the economic, political and social stories affecting the Olympic sports industry on the road to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio. Beyond the Medals – The Business of Sport is co-executive produced by Universal Sports Network, Lagardère Unlimited and Horrow Sports Ventures.
Universal Sports Network, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, offers more than 1,200 hours of original programming each year. Universal Sports has exclusive rights to world and national championship events in a wide array of sports, including swimming, track and field, gymnastics, cycling, skiing, figure skating and rugby.
