Linsey Corbin of the United States celebrates at the finish line after winning the Pro Women’s Division of the IRONMAN Wisconsin on Sept. 9. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Amazon may not have added the streaming rights to the 2018 Ironman World Championship to its growing selection of sports content, but the online retail giant has partnered with one of the world’s biggest endurance events in another way. The company has been named the “official sports nutrition retailer” of the iconic triathlon event.
Ahead of the Oct. 13 event in Hawaii, Amazon’s website has added a pop-up Ironman-branded nutrition shop, stocked with brands from the event’s official nutrition partners, such as CLIF Bar and Gatorade.
Amazon’s sponsorship will provide participants access to a “vast selection of nutrition products,” all located in the same location on Amazon’s online Ironman store. The majority of the products located within the store will include third party certified supplement products, which Ironman says will help athletes “reduce the risks that are often associated with supplement use.”
“We are thrilled to announce we’ve teamed up with Amazon,” said Ironman Chief Revenue Officer Matthieu Van Veen, in a statement. “The Ironman World Championship is the most iconic endurance event in the world and this collaboration with Amazon as we celebrate our 40th anniversary will provide athletes globally with direct access to sports nutrition products that help them reach the pinnacle of the sport.”
SportTechie Takeaway
Amazon has been scooping up digital sports media rights as it continues to widen its suite of live sports events. The company now owns right to Thursday Night Football and the Premier League. The Ironman deal, in comparison, is interesting because it focuses on Amazon’s traditional business as a retailer, and not its more recent focus of pivoting to become a media streamer.
Live race coverage of the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship brought to you by Amazon will be available on NBC Sports platforms, on ironman.com and via IRONMAN now on Facebook Watch, an Amazon competitor.
