Sports content provider and creator of the X Games, ESPN, has announced it has reached an agreement with Seven West Media (SWM) to host the extreme sports event Down Under for the very first time.
A joint statement by the media companies said X Games Sydney will be showcasing Australia, action sport athletes and youth culture to the country and the world with a distinctly Australian flavour.
The event will be staged from 19 to 21 October 2018 at Sydney’s Olympic Park.
X Games Sydney’s summer event line up will be produced by SWM, and will be comprised of the Skateboard, BMX and Moto X categories, with competitions across multiple disciplines such as Big Air, Street, and Freestyle.
Music, art and an ‘X Fest’ festival activation, which have become features of the events globally, will bring Sydney’s Olympic Park to life, the statement said.
X Games Sydney will also demo e-sports to reflect its growing popularity and its integral part in SWM’s Millennial audience strategy.
“It’s really exciting to finally bring the X Games to Australia,” Tim Reed, vice president of ESPN X Games, said.
“Australian athletes have played a huge part in the history of X Games, earning 138 medals and providing many memorable moments. We’re thrilled to bring the event to their backyard, where ESPN’s strong connection with a Millennial audience is evident.
“The country and culture are perfect and we have a world-class partner in Seven West Media, which will make this a special event for everyone involved.”
Kurt Burnette, Seven’s chief revenue officer and event director for the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and the Rugby League World Cup, said the company was proud to bring the X Games to Australia.
“We have a terrific relationship with ESPN and we look forward to working with them to deliver an outstanding event,” he said.
“Our commitment to the X Games underlines our leadership in sports and provides a clear indication of the future development of our rapidly-expanding moves into the staging of major live events.
“We will be powered by the scale of Seven West Media and ESPN audiences across all platforms and devices.
“Our Red Live business has developed a proven business model in driving promotion and ticket sales, as we saw in particular with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
“Importantly, our direct involvement in the staging of the X Games and its delivery across all platforms offers significant opportunities for us to build broad marketing partnerships for the event, in the lead-up and throughout the X Games, leveraging the power of our audience delivery and brands and of course, the remarkable brand that is X Games.”
Seven will seamlessly cross promote X Games Sydney and build storylines that support future Australian Olympians.
As an outdoor event, all medal event courses will be built and located on the field in the stadium.
Across three days of action, including 12 X Games Sydney medal events, event audiences and those watching on screens across the Seven West Media, ESPN and digital and social platforms will be treated to Vert, Moto X, Big Air and Street demo events and entertainment programmed each day to maintain the live experience excitement and fan engagement.
The statement said the full schedule of X Games Sydney 2018 events will be announced soon.
