IRONMAN will continue live event coverage on Facebook Watch via the IRONMAN Now Facebook Page for the third straight year, featuring 19 events from around the world in 2020.
As the number of events receiving Facebook Watch live coverage has increased each year, so too have the fans tuning in. ‘Over the past two years, more than 5.3 million people have watched at least one minute of an IRONMAN live event broadcast on Facebook.’
Available globally to fans on Facebook, the 19 events covered this season will come from 12 different countries and four continents – with coverage debuting on March 7 from the Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand in Taupō.
IRONMAN adds that ‘the storylines are rich with intrigue throughout the year’ as four regional championships will be featured – including:
- The IRONMAN African Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa;
- The IRONMAN North America Championship in St George, Utah;
- The Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship in Cairns, Australia; and
- The Mainova IRONMAN European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany.
‘Back by popular demand’ will be the return of IRONMAN Austria-Kärnten, IRONMAN Italy Emilia-Romagna and the ever-challenging IRONMAN Wales.
| 2020 IRONMAN Now Facebook Watch Schedule | ||
| Date | Event | Location |
| Mar 7 | Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand | Taupō, New Zealand |
| Mar 29 | IRONMAN African Championship | Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa |
| May 2 | IRONMAN North American Championship | St George, Utah, USA |
| May 31 | Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN Tulsa | Tulsa, USA |
| Jun 7 | Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship | Cairns, Australia |
| Jun 21 | IRONMAN Hamburg | Hamburg, Germany |
| Jun 28 | Mainova IRONMAN European Championship | Frankfurt, Germany |
| Jul 5 | IRONMAN Austria-Kärnten | Klagenfurt, Austria |
| Jul 12 | IRONMAN Switzerland | Thun, Switzerland |
| Jul 25 | IRONMAN Santa Rosa | Santa Rosa, CA, USA |
| Aug 15 | IRONMAN Kalmar | Kalmar, Sweden |
| Aug 23 | Subaru IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant | Mont-Tremblant, Québec, Canada |
| Aug 30 | Subaru IRONMAN Canada | Penticton, BC, Canada |
| Sep 6 | IRONMAN Wales | Tenby, Wales, UK |
| Sep 19 | IRONMAN Italy Emilia-Romagna | Cervia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Sep 26 | IRONMAN Portugal – Cascais | Cascais, Portugal |
| Oct 10 | Vega IRONMAN World Championship | Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i, USA |
| Nov 7 | Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN Florida | Florida, USA |
| Nov 28-29 | IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship | Taupō, New Zealand |
Making their inaugural appearance on Facebook Watch will be the first edition of the Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN Tulsa, and IRONMAN Switzerland’s first stop in Thun, while Subaru IRONMAN Canada makes its return to Penticton, British Columbia.
Long-standing host cities Panama City Beach, Florida, and Santa Rosa, California, will join one of the oldest and most popular events on the global circuit, Nutri-Grain IRONMAN New Zealand, as each also makes their debut on IRONMAN Now.
IRONMAN will produce its live coverage for a connected audience, incorporating unique viewer interaction through Facebook Watch Parties, real-time polls, fan discussion, and user generated content from spectators along the course.
The Vega IRONMAN World Championship, which takes place annually in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i, will again receive ‘robust week-long programming’, culminating in nearly a full-day of live race coverage on October 10.
Last year’s Vega IRONMAN World Championship included more than 20 hours of comprehensive live race day coverage, including everything from the early morning body marking to the final hour finish line celebration.
The extensive 2020 coverage concludes where it began in Taupō, New Zealand with the 2020 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place on November 28-29. Nearly 6,000 of the best triathletes in the world will converge around The Great Lake Taupõ District for what is expected to become the largest event in the series’ history.
The fully produced live event coverage will be hosted by past champions of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events, including Dede Griesbauer, Matt Lieto, and Michael Lovato, as well as IRONMAN World Champions and Hall of Famers Paula Newby Fraser and Greg Welch.
Live race coverage of the following events as well as a range of on-demand programming will be available on Facebook Watch globally via the IRONMAN Now Facebook Page.
