The first two days of the Grand Slam Track kicked off with incredible intensity and world-class performances. Kenny Bednarek dominated the sprints in Miami, winning both the 100m in a blistering 9.79 seconds (wind-aided) and the 200m in 19.84 seconds. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone claimed her second consecutive Grand Slam title with a commanding 400m victory in 49.69 seconds. Masai Russell set a new American record in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.17 seconds. What else could take the league to the top of the game? Imagine, Philly – Grand Slam Track – 200m, and you hear, “reigning 200m world champion“. But that remains only imagination for now, as Noah Lyles is still not interested in coming for Michael Johnson’s $30 Million League. What does he say this time?
“Well, first I want to say that yes, there are a lot of great things about the concept of Grand Slam Track. It puts athletes in a very powerful position if it can stay, you know, consistent throughout the years,” said Noah Lyles in an interview with RunBlogRun. And can you disagree? A track and field athlete who used to work at UPS to support his training just won $50,000 in Miami. The Olympian believes that consistency would mean more races, and maybe more media opportunities.
The Paris Olympics gold medalist continued, “my biggest concern is marketability. If a tree falls in the wood and nobody woods and nobody’s around to hear, did the tree fall?“. This is what he also said back in 2024 when he sat down with ESPN to discuss Michael Johnson’s league. But GST isn’t the one that is disappointing him right now. It is the Diamond League, and where have its streaming rights gone? The 27-year-old said, “And that’s kind of where track and field is now with diamond leagues moving to FloTrack. How are we gonna be able to consistently watch that? The people who don’t normally watch track and field are not going to know what FloTrack is.“
Lyles is not the only athlete to have a problem with this. Gabby Thomas described this as the worst news she has ever heard from Diamond League. “Flotrack = death of the sport” were the words of two-time outdoor Worlds team member Isaiah Harris. And these are a few of many. But why the hate? Because a FloTrack subscription costs $29.99/month or $149.99/year. On the other hand, a Peacock subscription costs $5.99/month or $59.99/year.
Getting back to our Olympian and Grand Slam track, the interviewer had entertained the rumor of GST getting on with a streaming service in the interview, while that rumor is yet to catch up with the self proclaimed fastest man on the planet, “but at the same time, that does alarm me a little bit that it is streaming. I do want to see it on T,V and I want it to be consistent. You know, that’s the most important thing.” For now, the league has secured broadcast deals in 189 countries and territories worldwide. In the United States, events are available for streaming on Peacock and for broadcast on The CW. In Europe and Asia, Eurosport provides coverage, while TNT Sports broadcasts in the UK and Ireland. Additional broadcasters include beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa, CBC in Canada, CazéTV in Brazil, and L’Equipe in France.
He further said, “so again, if I’m running, I want to make sure that I’m seen and I want to make sure that the stadiums are also able to handle TV.” “Lyles decision to join the GST have always been dependent on a TV sponsor, as he has previously said, citing, he does not need money. Filling in the stadiums has been a challenge for Grand Slam Track. The opening event at the National Stadium faced criticism for low attendance, with only about 6,000 fans present despite a 35,000-seat capacity.
Things did turn out to be good in Miami as reports say over 50% of tickets (including VIP) were sold, but there were still around 2500 empty seats. It even left fans divided. The Olympian addressing his reputation of having hot takes also said that he would love to be proved wrong about grand slam track. But this is also not the first time he has said anything about GST.
Noah Lyles has voiced against GST’s marketing and streaming before
Back in September of 2024 when Grand Slam Track was still everything but on the track, Noah Lyles was buzzing. The question was whether he would or would not join the league. His answer, “Personally, I just need to see a TV provider. The problem with our sport right now is that we have great performances, but nobody’s able to see them. So, until I hear about a TV sponsor [for GST], I don’t know that I can make a decision yet.” He once again quoted the tree example in this discussion with Running Magazine.
“What Johnson is doing for the sport is great, and I know how hard it is to create a league and go against the grain,” he had said. Did Lyles have a change of heart in 2025? No. On his Beyond the Records Podcast, Lyles discussed apprehensions regarding the new format’s scheduling and visibility: “Money is not the thing that’s going to drive me every time,” he added. “Truthfully, even now, looking at it… OK, we’re two months out, and I’m looking, who are your outside sponsors, who are your non-track and field sponsors. I haven’t even heard a block’s sponsor.”
Citing that America is the best marketing factory, Lyles pointed out that he hadn’t heard anything. He did not see a commercial, nor did he see any promos, and the promos he saw were just athletes pointing at the camera, which he said was nice when they’re going to come onto the track. So, for now, there seems to be no chance of Noah in Grand Slam Track, or is there? What do you think?
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