Live From Grand Slam Track: New Premier Event Serves Up Traditional Racing with a Modern Twist

Live From Grand Slam Track: New Premier Event Serves Up Traditional Racing with a Modern Twist After three marquee events, the sport is being covered with new ideas and technologies By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 - 12:51 pm

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A competition steep in tradition that tests every aspect of human speed, track is built with drama from the onset. Fans are already invested in the runners on the racing surface, but these supporters can only truly see the pinnacle of the sport on two occasions: the Olympics and the World Athletics Championships. To place these stellar athletes in a more frequent spotlight as well as present this long-time sport in a new way with enhanced broadcast technology, Grand Slam Track has emerged as a viable option for fans with recent stops in Jamaica, Miami, and Philadelphia and their final stop in Los Angeles at the end of June.

The Grand Slam Track team of Rick Qualliotine, Jim Carr, Mark Fulton, Micky Payne, Marni Col n, Clair Goodwin, Kevin Orwin, and Anneka Radley-Hodges.

Outside of the last Olympics, this is the most innovative broadcast of track that's ever occurred, says Rick Qualliotine, Chief Content Officer, Grand Slam Track. We're revolutionizing how the world's oldest sport is consumed globally through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

Back to the Beginning: Qualliotine's Path to Grand Slam Track Months before Grand Slam Track embarked on their four-city inaugural tour, Qualliotine was a seasoned veteran in the sports-video-production industry. Armed with a background entrenched in technological expertise as Vice President at NFL Media (he was instrumental in bringing the league's Los Angeles-based facility online), production know-how as an Executive Producer of Good Morning Football, and understanding the entertainment aspect after numerous years at MTV and Comedy Central, Qualliotine was initially intrigued by the concept of Grand Slam Track. A conversation with Founder & Commissioner Michael Johnson solidified his plans.

It was the opportunity to set the standard for how track could be - not just on the broadcast, but represented throughout the world, says Qualliotine. When I spoke with Michael, we talked about how the business part of track doesn't necessarily consistently match up with how these athletes are the greatest in the world.

Aerial Camera Systems provided a RailCam that ran alongside the runners on the backstretch.

With only two high-profile competitions throughout an already-packed sports calendar, there was a clear lane for Grand Slam Track. With the possibility of garnering more attention for 96 athletes per event - 48 Racers vs. 48 Challengers - that can win a grand total of $12.6 million in prize money, joining the organization was a no-brainer.

There hasn't been a consistent platform for storytelling, adds Qualliotine. There was a chance for us to build out a content strategy and broadcast plan, and there was no way that I was going to miss out on that.

At a similar time, Momentum-CHP - the broadcast venture between UK-based Momentum Broadcast and U.S.-based Carr Hughes Productions - was being onboarded to the process. Centered around Momentum Broadcast Executive Producer Mark Fulton and Carr-Hughes Productions Owner and Executive Producer Jim Carr, the broadcast scheme was being finalized for the four separate destinations in their first season: The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, Ansin Sports Complex in Miami, University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field in Philadelphia, and UCLA's Drake Stadium in Los Angeles. These plans were put in motion and set in stone with key executives at Grand Slam Track, including Johnson; Qualliotine; President & COO Steve Gera; and VP, Production, Marni Col n.

Girraphic has been instrumental on the full graphics package, including AR graphics.

Broadcast Compound Configuration: Game Creek Video, High Rock Mobile Television Produce World Feed With Momentum-CHP as the host broadcaster, Grand Slam Track moved forward with a four-feed production infrastructure to distribute to 205 countries and territories. This approach includes a clean world feed for broadcaster-specific graphics, a dirty world feed with real-time scoring and data graphics supplied by Grand Slam Track, a domestic studio feed, and a feed of unique creator-focused content produced and curated by Creator Sports Network (CSN). Overseas, media rights deals were struck with TNT Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland and Warner Bros. Discovery throughout the rest of Europe and Asia. In the United States, the league has worked with NBC Sports for digital coverage on Peacock and The CW for linear, over-the-air coverage.

It's been really positive and has very much been a conversation amongst folks that know each other well, says Qualliotine. From the very beginning, they have been advocates for the project, and that's meant a lot to us.

Two drones, including this large one, took to the sky in Philadelphia.

For their onsite facilities, Grand Slam Track acquired the mobile units and broadcast technologies from two proven entities in the industry: Game Creek Video for the live competition production and High Rock Mobile Television for the studio show production. In the broadcast compound at Franklin Field, the A and B units of GCV Varsity and GCV Edit 1 were present alongside High Rock Mobile Television's High Rock 1 mobile unit.

In Philadelphia, the 130-year-old venue was proactive and provided all of Grand Slam Track's broadcast needs. Led by UPenn's Assistant Athletic Director, Business Development, Joe Haughey; Associate Director of the Penn Relays, Aaron Robison; and their team, the working relationship between the university and the league was pivotal to a succe

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2025/06/03/live-from-grand-slam-track-new-...
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