Monte Carlo - The August 15-23 world athletics championships in Berlin will be broadcast in a record 212 countries and territories around the world, the ruling body IAAF said on Thursday.

The last contracts, according to the IAAF, were an agreement of the Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) to extend its coverage to the Indian sub-continent and an extension of coverage in sub-Sahara Africa via Canal France International and sister company TV5.

"I am very happy that our top competition can be seen by TV viewers in the vast majority of our 213 IAAF member federations," said IAAF president Lamine Diack.

"There is no doubt that fantastic images of our best athletes from the world championships in Berlin will offer the best possible promotional tool for athletics - on a truly global scale." (dpa)