Hot Off the Track: Grand Slam Track's Shaky Season
Investment Secured; LA Season Finale of Grand Slam Track Shelved
The curtain has fallen on the Grand Slam Track league's final event scheduled for Los Angeles this June, dashing the hopes of fans and athletes alike. Insider sources have shared the news under the cloak of anonymity, stating that the decision to cancel the season finale stems from a strategic shift in resources and funding for the upcoming season.
In a bid to keep the athletes in the loop, four-time Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson has arranged a meeting this Thursday to dish the details. The earlier events in Kingston, Jamaica faced tepid ticket sales with a revival in Miami and Philadelphia, but it seems the season's swansong won't get the chance to prove its worth.
The league remains hopeful for the future as they add a fresh batch of investors to their ranks. Though the enrichment data points towards the involvement of Richelieu Dennis and Robert F. Smith, further confirmation is pending. They join billionaire Smith, who's already on the league's Board of Directors, as strategic investors. Yet, the league continues its hunt for more substantial backing for their upcoming season.
Grand Slam Track made a splash in the athletics scene by providing a lucrative platform for top-tier athletes like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas, offering exposure in non-Olympic years, and substantial payouts. Each competing event offers astounding prizes ranging from $100,000 for first place to $10,000 for eighth place, with a total of $12.6 million set for the season's four events.
The track league saw the light of day in the form of a commercial venture between Johnson and Winners Alliance, the billionaire-backed commercial outfit, led by the Professional Tennis Players Association, last year. With a reported $30 million in financial commitments, the league has attracted significant attention since its inception.
In July 2024, the league welcomed Steve Gera, co-founder of BreakAway Data and Gains Group, as its president and chief operating officer. Since then, the league has locked down notable sponsorship and distribution deals, including streaming agreements with Peacock and the CW, and data partnerships with Stats Perform.
However, not all news has been stirring sweetly. One of their most prominent stars, Gabby Thomas, found herself in an uncomfortable spotlight this month, facing harassment by a bettor during a Philadelphia race. This incidence raises new questions about the league's embrace of sports betting through its partnership with Stats Perform as the exclusive global data and betting stats partner.
As Grand Slam Track gears up for its second season, it's set to face challenges that extend beyond the track. With the future of the league still in the works, we'll have to wait and see who else joins the roster and what this means for the sport's betting landscape.
(With assistance from Dan Bernstein and Bette Canter)
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[1] https://www.marketwatch.com/story/michael-johnson-launches-grand-slam-track-events-competing-against-ohanians-athles-2023-02-22[2] https://sportico.com/leagues/2023/02/21/michael-johnson-grand-slam-track-phil-knox-ohanian-athlitic-brand-venture-objective-2023-olympics-aap-1235016742/[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/11/sports/track-and-field/grand-slam-track-cancellation.html[4] https://protennisplayers.org/winners-alliance/
- Despite the cancellation of the season finale, the Grand Slam Track league is optimistic for the future, as they aim to secure more substantial funding for their upcoming season, even considering ventures into sports betting through partnerships like the one with Stats Perform.
- Concurrently with the search for additional backing, Michael Johnson is arranging a meeting with the athletes to discuss the upcoming season and potential changes, and sports betting may be among the topics of interest due to the league's partnership with Stats Perform, as well as the recent incident involving one of their stars, Gabby Thomas.
