Red carpets, reels and racing: athletics leans into the creator era

BUDAPEST, Sept 11 : As Olympic champions and world record-holders drifted between interview stations at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship media day on Thursday, many had one eye on the cameras and another on their phones.

In modern athletics, social media is no longer just a way to connect with fans. Athletes and independent content creators have become an increasingly important part of how the sport promotes itself and reaches new audiences.

For a growing number of athletes, it is part of the business plan. With few guaranteed salaries and major sponsorship money concentrated among the elite, athletes are increasingly relying on content creation, brand partnerships and side ventures to supplement their income.

But as the sport embraces the creator economy, the growing presence of influencers at live events has also prompted debate about where promotion ends and disruption begins.

That erupted last week at the U.S. Open when a chair umpire reprimanded patrons for staging a photo shoot while Naomi Osaka was serving during her first-round win over Anastasia Zakharova, raising questions about where content creators belong at live sporting events.

Olympic 100 metres champion Noah Lyles, whose 1.5 million Instagram followers make him one of the sport's most influential online voices, welcomed the rise of content creators but said clear boundaries were needed.

"I think that influencers are needed. I also think that there's a time and place," Lyles said. "I was watching (what happened at the U.S. Open), and I was cringing a little bit.

"It is important to get the content and let people know that an event is happening. But there can be a selected space for that."

CONTENT CREATION AWAY FROM RACE-DAY PRESSURES

World Athletics attempted exactly that in Budapest, setting aside Thursday's "The Day Before" event for athletes to create content away from race-day pressures.

"I've really enjoyed the way that World Athletics has found a place for that at the Ultimate Championships," said Lyles.

"That provides not only a space for athletes to be more comfortable and not stressing, but also a place where we know that it's not going to get interrupted by others and be an interruption to others."

The stakes extend beyond exposure.

For many athletes, social media has become a crucial revenue stream in a sport where even world-class performers have struggled to turn success into financial security.

"We need that kind of exposure in our sport," said Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis. "I'm a kid from social media. Most of us grew up with social media. It has to be controlled, of course. In the U.S. Open, that was too much."

World Athletics is leaning into that trend.

Floor-length gowns and rhinestone-studded suits replaced race kits on Thursday as the federation staged a red-carpet event showcasing athletes away from competition.

It is part of a broader push by competitors to build profiles and businesses beyond the track.

Lyles, who is not competing in Budapest due to a minor injury, recently launched a track-and-field trading card collection in the hope of providing an additional revenue stream for athletes, while former world 1,500m champion Jake Wightman co-founded speciality coffee company Last Rep Coffee, an official supplier to the event.

OPTIMISE EARNING POTENTIAL

Canada's seven-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse has expanded beyond the track through a charitable foundation, investment in women's soccer club AFC Toronto, a children's television show launching soon and a biopic in the works.

"Like any professional athlete, you're looking to optimise your earning potential during what is typically a relatively brief career," said Brian Levine, president and founder of Envision Sports & Entertainment, an agency that represents sprinter De Grasse and former world decathlon champion Pierce LePage, among others.

Other athletes have ventured into music, including Lyles, world pole vault record-holder Mondo Duplantis, who has 1.5 million followers on Instagram, and American pole vaulter Sandi Morris.

There have also been growing pains.

Influencer Matt Choi was disqualified from the 2024 New York City Marathon and banned from future New York Road Runners events after using an unauthorised camera crew.

USA Track & Field introduced a dedicated "content creator zone" at this year's national championships following occasional clashes between traditional media and independent creators in "mixed zones" where post-event interviews are held.

In a sport where careers can rise and fall in a fraction of a second, many athletes are betting on more than medals. As athletics adapts to the creator economy, the biggest winners may be those who can excel both on the track and on the screen.