At a ceremony held on May 8th at Jazz in Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City, it was announced that the television broadcast of the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship race was awarded the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Edited Sports Event Coverage.
The show which was co-produced by IRONMAN and Texas Crew Productions – airing on NBC – was up against considerable competition for the prestigious award. This included the 2017 World Series Film: Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers (FS1/MLB Network), All Access Epilogue: Mayweather vs. McGregor (Showtime), Sound FX: Super Bowl 51 (NFL Network), UFC Fight Flashback: Cruz vs Garbrandt (FS1).
The 39th Sports Emmy Awards recognized outstanding achievement in sports television coverage across 40 categories. With the win, the IRONMAN World Championship broadcast has now captured 17 Sports Emmy awards along with numerous other accolades, including 55 Emmy nominations. This was the sixth Sports Emmy win in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Event Coverage/Special and the first Emmy win since 2011 when it won for Outstanding Camera Work.
“We are incredibly grateful for this honour and believe that it shines a light on the power of IRONMAN, our extraordinary athletes, and the inspiration of the IRONMAN World Championship,” said Christopher Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer of IRONMAN and Executive Producer of the show. “As we celebrate ‘40 years of Dreams’ in 2018, this award adds yet another astounding achievement to what we have been able to accomplish since 1978. We know that these impactful, awe-inspiring stories of courage, resilience and determination will continue to inspire millions of people around the world.”
The age-group features this year included Marine Corps veteran Mike Ergo and stage-4 pancreatic cancer fighter, Mike Levine. Ergo used triathlon to battle the demons of post-traumatic stress disorder, while finding a way to keep the memory alive of his 29 fallen Marine Corps brothers by racing with their names on his kit. Levine found encouragement from 1982 IRONMAN World Champion Kathleen McCartney, who raced alongside him and helped him realize a diagnosis doesn’t define you.
The story of Sian Welch’s return to the island 20 years after one of the most memorable finishes in IRONMAN history was also documented, along with the main professional race.
The Emmy Award-winning 2017 IRONMAN World Championship broadcast will re-air on Friday, August 19th on NBC Sports Network. A DVD of the show is also available for purchase.
