The Boston Marathon will be broadcast nationally in the United States on ESPN and WCVB Channel 5 starting in 2023 following a multiyear deal with the Boston Athletic Association (BAA).
The ESPN network will broadcast the 127th Boston Marathon, which is scheduled to take place on April 17, 2023. In addition, ESPN will cover the event on SportsCenter as well as on other ESPN shows and platforms.
Live coverage of the Boston Marathon will air on WCVB beginning at 4:00 a.m. ET through 8:00 p.m. ET. WCVB and all of its television partners will provide coverage of the marathon on their digital platforms and mobile apps. The Boston Marathon will also be live streamed on Very Local Boston, and the streaming platform will host year-round content featuring the B.A.A. WCVB will also serve as the first-ever exclusive broadcast partner for the B.A.A.’s Distance Medley races and will provide year-round coverage of the B.A.A. and its races, with a focus on the Boston Marathon.
The partnership marks the return of the Boston Marathon to both ESPN and WCVB, with ESPN having aired the world’s most prestigious road race in the early 1980’s and then from 1997-2004. WCVB provided wire-to-wire coverage of the marathon from 1982 through 2006, including the largest Boston Marathon in history—the centennial Boston Marathon in 1996 featured 35,868 finishers.