Sony and World Athletics seal partnership through to 2026, promising cutting-edge technology

World Athletics has forged a multi-year global partnership with Japanese tech giant Sony, extending until the conclusion of 2026.

The three-year agreement, set to kick off with the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow this March, encompasses sponsorship for World Athletics Series events. The collaboration also includes support for the 2025 World Athletic Championships scheduled for Tokyo.

Under the terms of the deal, Sony will supply cutting-edge camera equipment and broadcast solutions, enhancing the overall production quality of these high-profile athletic competitions. Content creators collaborating with World Athletics will benefit from technical support, ensuring seamless capture and presentation of the events.

Hawk-Eye Innovations, owned by Sony and acknowledged for its contributions to various sports worldwide, is a main contributor to this partnership. Hawk-Eye will take on a key role in overseeing fair competition through its officiating platforms, enhancing the overall integrity and precision of the events.

This collaboration comes at a crucial juncture for World Athletics, seeking to re-engage sports enthusiasts after recent World Championships faced challenges such as low attendance, limited public interest and allegations of sportswashing. For Sony, this partnership presents a strategic opportunity to leverage its Hawk-Eye technology and showcase its content capture products to a global audience.

“We are entering an exciting few years for our sport and I can think of no better partner than Sony to help us capture the excitement, the thrill and the breathtaking performances our sport promises to bring,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said.

“As the number one Olympic sport, the eyes of the world will be squarely focused on athletics this year as our athletes compete across our five World Athletics Series events, plus Paris.

“We look forward to the outstanding photographs Sony will capture at our events to immortalise these many moments in our sport’s history.”

The inaugural display of Sony branding is anticipated at the World Athletics event in Glasgow, commencing on March 1.