As IRONMAN returned to racing in 2021, it also provided its fourth straight year of live event coverage on Facebook Watch via the IRONMAN Now channel. Throughout 2021, The IRONMAN Group Productions delivered globally accessible content through 17 live IRONMAN events reaching a worldwide audience.
According to IRONMAN… ‘Nearly 56 million triathlon fans around the globe consumed 738,000 hours of live and on-demand content from the 17 live IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events through IRONMAN’s official social media channels during the 2021 season.
‘The year of live triathlon race coverage was highlighted by the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission as viewers from around the world tuned in to see Gustav Iden (NOR) and Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) claim the world championship titles in St. George, Utah.
‘In total, the event saw over 7 million live and on-demand video views, equating to over 115,000 hours of race coverage consumed.’
“We are proud to bring our series of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events to a global audience through engaging and high-quality content,” said Julia Polloreno, Global Director of Content for The IRONMAN Group.
“As a brand we are continuously striving to elevate the sport of triathlon, our athletes, fans and partners to a greater level.”
Audiences have connected through fully produced live event coverage hosted by past champions of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events around the globe, including Dede Griesbauer, Matt Lieto, and Michael Lovato, as well as IRONMAN World Champions and Hall of Famers Michellie Jones and Greg Welch.
The extensive live coverage incorporated unique viewer interaction through real-time polls, fan discussion, and user-generated content from spectators along the course.
In May, The IRONMAN Group Productions also launched ‘A Fighting Chance’. This was a race-week series that took viewers into the inner, everyday lives of elite triathletes for a look at the athlete journey.
Cameras and production crews went behind the scenes to offer a glimpse at athletes chasing their triathlon goals, attempting to turn dreams into reality. For the three episodes that aired prior to the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission, viewers reportedly accounted for nearly 3 million video views.
The inaugural year for the series saw it being shortlisted for the SportsPro OTT Awards for Best Original Content.
The 2021 live broadcast season concluded with the IRONMAN African Championship live from Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa on Novembe. 21. This, plus a wide-range of on-demand programming, is available on Facebook Watch globally via the IRONMAN Now Facebook Watch Page – www.facebook.com/IRONMANnow.
Plans and further details for the 2022 live coverage schedule and additional content production will be announced in coming months… ‘with exciting new offerings being planned.’
