'I cut down all the trees'- Michael Johnson fires back at Noah Lyles over Grand Slam Track broadcast concerns

Michael Johnson is determined to end the huge pay disparities between athletics and other sports. Image source: Imago

'I cut down all the trees'- Michael Johnson fires back at Noah Lyles over Grand Slam Track broadcast concerns

Abigael Wafula 14:00 - 08.03.2025

Michael Johnson has countered Noah Lyles' claims with major broadcast deals.

There is no doubt that Noah Lyles has been one of the greatest critics of Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track League.

The triple-world champion explained that the main reason why he has yet to sign with the lucrative league is due to the lack of a broadcast partner and the scheduling of the event.

Noah Lyles shared that he would not be willing to compete if there was no one to watch him race. He first shared his doubts in an interview with Letsrun.com before also speaking about the league on ESPN and lately on the Beyond the Records podcast.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Athletics News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

“Being the Olympic champion, I’ve already come in with a lot of accolades and a lot of things where I don’t need monetary value,” Noah Lyles shared in a past interview with Letsrun.com.

“I’d really need marketing value and if a tree falls in the woods, did it fall or did it make a sound? So, if I race and it’s not seen, where’s the marketing for it.”

However, Michael Johnson and his team have made a lot of progress in securing broadcast rights. Earlier this year, Grand Slam Track announced that CW Network would be the exclusive US broadcast home of the league and that Peacock would be the exclusive streaming home.

The track league also recently announced a new partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. TNT Sports will broadcast the events for viewers from the UK and Ireland, while Eurosport will provide the coverage for viewers in Europe and Asia.

Following the major progress made, Michael Johnson has aimed a subtle dig at Noah Lyles, posting a tweet on his X handle.

“Peacock, The CW, NBC, Eurosport, TNT. I’m a damn lumberjack! I cut down all the trees in the woods and everybody heard them fall. Well almost everybody,” Michael Johnson said.

A fan commented on the tweet, asking, "Well done! Now get that very fast guy who did not hear the trees falling! We want him at these meets!!!”

He answered: “Thanks! Why not go talk to them?”

Michael Johnson added that the broadcast deals are still coming up and would be available for over 100 countries. The Grand Slam Track will debut at the National Stadium at Independence Park from April 4 to 6 in the Kingston Open in Jamaica.

Tags: