Although Michael Johnson has since retired from being a pro athlete, he is returning to the sports industry in a different way.
Sportico reports that the Olympic champion has teamed up with Winners Alliance, a global athlete licensing and sponsorship firm, to build a fan-focused track league. One of its main missions is to increase the attention that track and field athletes receive in the U.S. beyond the Olympics and make it more accessible to fans. To do so, the firm plans to promote them on a wider scale via a new entertainment platform.
“I love this sport and owe everything I have to this sport,” expressed Johnson, who is known for the world records he set in the 200-meter and 400-meter events in the 1990s. “It’s been a shame for me to watch it over the last couple decades since I retired not be able to continue to provide the same amazing moments to people, outside of just the Olympics.”
He added, “The track has been such a big part of my life and I’m in a position to help this sport get back to where it should be.”
What will the upcoming track league entail? According to the outlet, Johnson and Winners Alliance have plans for it to be a platform for track and field athletes to be able to commercialize their rights. Winners Alliance has such high hopes for the venture that it claims to have invested seven figures — reportedly making it “the single largest investment in track and field history.”
“I don’t think anyone [until now] has tried to show the essence of the sport and really put the athletes front and center,” Winners Alliance President Eric Winston said. “It’s not just track; athletes are the main event. The NBA has made a push to put their athletes front and center and even the NFL, which was always a team-driven league, has done so as well.”
As the upcoming track and field league works to connect with potential media partners, sponsors and investors, it’s expected to launch in 2025.
