Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green discussed Noah Lyles’ point regarding broadcasting concerns in track and field on YouTube’s Ready Set Go podcast. While they recognized the athlete’s desire for increased awareness of the sport through TV broadcasts, Gatlin and Green focused on various factors that could present difficult challenges.
Firstly, Gatlin thanked Shannon Sharpe for keeping up the post-Olympics buzz, and promoting track and field to a bigger audience. He detailed how the former NFL tight end invited track stars such as Rai Benjamin, Quincy Hall, and, eventually, Lyles to his show, Nightcap, to keep the conversation active.
However, the two track legends brought up Lyles’ episode. Green claimed that the athlete had made several important observations about the sport.
The retired Bahamian sprinter also stated that the six-time world champion is misunderstood in numerous places, including these interviews. Green recognized Lyles’ desire to promote track and field to a wider audience, but he raised a question, saying:
“Is the track and field world ready for the notoriety to be joined with track and field?”
Green is concerned about whether the sport, especially its current fans, is prepared for such popularity. He suggested that viewers watch the Nightcap episode, regardless of whether they liked Lyles or not.
Green also realized that broadcasting track and field has been a long-standing concern. Even if the sport has a plethora of events each season, it only gains the highest level of popularity every four years during the Olympic Games. The retired sprinter mentioned that track and field fans have difficulty finding sites to watch the events because of the same issues
Gatlin then added his opinions to the conversation, arguing that the sport should be streamed via streaming platforms rather than being broadcasted on television.
The retired four-time world champion elaborated on Lyles’ remark regarding Grand Slam Track, one of the most important events in the 2025 season, not signing any television contracts. While Gatlin understood the 27-year-old’s sentiment, he mentioned a potential risk:
“TV is good, but be careful what you ask for. You don’t want to be on TV, and your races are at 11:30 at night or 6:00 in the morning. You know what I mean. Time slots are critical.”
Gatlin had no problems with television, but he knew the time slots were essential. He described how a viewer could expect the event to be televised on ESPN, but it would be on ESPN3.
While there are numerous time slots on the big screen, only a few could truly assist track and field and attract the audience that Lyles seeks. Gatlin also emphasized TV availability to people, citing streaming services as the best option.
He stated that several streaming sites allow viewers to provide their own commentary during live events, which the track legend was more interested in than live television. The four-time world champion further expressed his thoughts, saying:
“Like, can you imagine the whole group chat, everybody watching the same track meet, and everybody just like the stats and people’s comments coming down on the side over here? People talking in real time like that is what track and field is about to me.”
Green agreed with Gatlin on the points raised in the conversation. He knew that the time slots available on television were not suitable for track and field fans.
The Bahamian further underlined that only prime-time television slots are feasible, but more popular sports, such as football and basketball, already have games scheduled at those important times.
This would represent a significant obstacle to track and field; thus, streaming services are the best choice. The sport involves many events at different times throughout the season; therefore, with streaming services, fans can watch track meets on their smartphones.
With Gatlin and Green stepping in to resolve Lyles’ broadcasting concerns, the future of track and field coverage appears bright. Their proactive approach aims to address challenges and enhance the sport’s presentation, potentially enhancing the viewer experience.
