WCVB to Air Exclusive Live Local Coverage of the 128th Boston Marathon Presented by Bank of America on Monday, April 15
Live coverage begins at 4AM on NewsCenter 5 EyeOpener and will continue to 8PM and streaming live on the WCVB app and wcvb.com.
Live coverage begins at 4AM on NewsCenter 5 EyeOpener and will continue to 8PM and streaming live on the WCVB app and wcvb.com.
WCVB CHANNEL 5 TO AIR EXCLUSIVE LIVE LOCAL COVERAGE OF THE 128TH RUNNING OF THE BOSTON MARATHON PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA ON MONDAY, APRIL 15
WCVB’s Coverage Begins at 4:00AM With Pre-Race Coverage, WCVB and ESPN Partner on Marathon Professional Race from 8:30AM-12:30PM, Post-Race Coverage from 12:30-4:00PM,
Race Highlights in Newscasts, and Special Chronicle at 7:30PM
Streaming Live and On Demand on Very Local Powered by WCVB
National Broadcast of the Boston Marathon to Air Exclusively on ESPN2 Outside of New England
BOSTON, MA— April 4, 2024 – WCVB Channel 5 is proud to be the exclusive local broadcast and streaming partner of the Boston Athletic Association’s 128th running of the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, on Monday, April 15th. The race will also stream live and will be available on demand on Very Local, powered by WCVB. ESPN returns as the exclusive national broadcast partner providing coverage outside of New England on ESPN2. Throughout the day, NewsCenter 5 will share stories of grit, passion, and perseverance from the field of 30,000 Boston Marathon runners, not only one of the most beloved athletic events in Massachusetts’ history, but also the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon.
As anticipation builds for this year’s iconic race, WCVB will air a live primetime special on Thursday, April 11th from 8:00-9:00PM, “History, Heroes, and Heart: The 128th Boston Marathon.” From the fastest athletes in the world, to everyday runners taking on 26.2 miles for inspiring causes, to an event that is always history in the making – WCVB NewsCenter 5’s special will share the stories that make the Boston Marathon truly the marathon of firsts. The special will stream live and on demand on Very Local which can be installed for free on any mobile, tablet or connected TV device including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.
On Marathon Monday, the WCVB NewsCenter 5 team will cover every angle of the race from start to finish, along the course, and in the sky beginning at 4:00AM in WCVB’s EyeOpener newscasts and continuing through a special edition of Chronicle at 7:30PM.
From the race start in Hopkinton, which is celebrating its 100thanniversary as the Boston Marathon official start-line, WCVB EyeOpener anchors Antoinette Antonio and Doug Meehan will provide pre-race coverage from 4:00AM to 8:30AM and will be joined by WCVB Chief Meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon from the finish line. WCVB NewsCenter 5 weekend EyeOpener anchors Rhondella Richardson and Jennifer Eagan will cover pre-race action from the Athletes’ Village and Copley Square, respectively.
WCVB anchors Ed Harding and Maria Stephanos along with ESPN SportsCenteranchor Hannah Storm then host the professional race from 8:30AM to 12:30PM from the finish line photo bridge where they will provide color commentary and insights throughout the race. Calling the professional race will be ESPN SportsCenteranchor John Anderson joined by analysts Carrie Tollefson, a 2004 Olympian for Team USA and former professional distance runner; and Amanda McGrory, Paralympic medalist and Boston Marathon wheelchair division podium finisher.
Rounding out the coverage, WCVB SportsCenter 5 reporters Josh Brogadir and Naoko Funayama will report from the course from the men’s and women’s lead trucks. SportsCenter 5 anchor Duke Castiglione will be joined by Storm at the finish to provide up-to-the-minute coverage and exclusive interviews with the racers as they cross the finish line.
Starting at 12:30PM, WCVB anchors Jessica Brown, Ben Simmoneau, and Erika Tarantal will kick off comprehensive post-race coverage and will be joined by a full team of NewsCenter 5 reporters as they provide Boston Marathon professional race re-caps, runner interviews, as well as coverage of the many runners who lace up to raise money and awareness for numerous charities.
Following the race, the WCVB NewsCenter 5 team will provide race highlights during NewsCenter 5 at 4:00PM, 5:00PM, 6:00PM, and 7:00PM, with Jennifer Peñate anchoring in-studio. A special marathon-themed Chronicle will air at 7:30PM with hosts Anthony Everett and Shayna Seymour reporting on the live post-race celebration from Boston’s City Hall Plaza.
The race will be exclusively simulcast regionally on WCVB Channel 5’s Hearst Television owned sister-stations WMUR (Manchester, NH), WMTW (Portland/Auburn, ME), and WPTZ (Burlington, VT/Plattsburgh, NY). WCVB and all of its television partners will also provide coverage of the marathon on their digital platforms and mobile apps. Additionally, the Boston Marathon will be live-streamed and available on demand on Very Local throughout New England.
ESPN2 will broadcast the 128th Boston Marathon nationally, outside of New England, from 8:30AM until 12:30PM. ESPN will also have coverage of the race within SportsCenter before the live coverage and later in the day, as well as coverage appearing on other ESPN shows and platforms.
As part of WCVB’s media partnership, the station works with the B.A.A. throughout the year to highlight their many other athletic events as well as its community outreach initiatives.
HOW TO WATCH LOCALLY
WCVB Channel 5 – Live coverage begins at 4AM on NewsCenter 5 EyeOpener and will continue to 8PM, and streaming live on the WCVB app and wcvb.com.
Very Local – Streaming live and on-demand on Very Local, powered by WCVB. For free access, install the Very Local app on any mobile, tablet or connected TV device including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.
ABOUT WCVB CHANNEL 5
WCVB is Boston’s broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including WCVB Channel 5, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with quality local content. In addition to 47 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation’s longest running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate station, is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 33 television stations and two radio stations. Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and X (@wcvb).
ABOUT HEARST TELEVISION
Hearst Television owns and/or operates 35 television and two radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states reaching 24 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over more than 120 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Its Hearst Media Production Group unit produces original programming across linear and streaming platforms for domestic and international distribution. Its Very Local app, free to download on household OTT devices and available across popular streaming services, offers 24/7 access to local news, weather and an array of local and regional programming. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry's premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.