The Boston Marathon will be broadcast on ESPN starting with the 2023 running of the race, the Boston Athletic Association announced Wednesday.
ESPN will begin a multiyear agreement starting with the 127th Boston Marathon, on April 17, and will provide coverage of the race on SportsCenter as well as other shows and platforms. Along with adding ESPN as a national broadcaster, local coverage in Boston will be handled by ABC affiliate WCVB Channel 5, the BAA said.
"The Boston Marathon is one of the world's most recognizable and best-known sporting events and we're proud to be able to bring it to ESPN viewers for years to come," Burke Magnus, ESPN president of programming and original content, said in a statement. "We look forward to working with the B.A.A. and WCVB to present the stories and athletic achievements of this classic race."
The 2022 Boston Marathon was the first held on its traditional Patriots' Day date in three years, after the 2020 race was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic and the 2021 race was postponed until October that year.
A field of 30,000 runners is expected for the 2023 Boston Marathon, which will also mark the 10th anniversary of the marathon bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds. The BAA plans to recognize the anniversary around next year's race.
ESPN previously broadcast the marathon in the early 1980s and from 1997 to 2004. The network has also aired the New York City Marathon since 2013.
"We're honored to partner with ESPN and WCVB Channel 5, respected market leaders who bring a spirit of innovation and thoughtful storytelling that will propel the mission of the B.A.A. and legacy of the world's oldest annual marathon forward," BAA acting CEO Jack Fleming said in a statement. "Both have established a tradition of broadcasting world-class athletic events, and we are excited to build on this tradition together into the future."