July 26, 2011

Thirty-Five Entities from 21 Countries Exploring Bid to Host X Games Events Beginning 2013

Beginning in 2013, ESPN will produce six world-class X Games global events – expanding from the two U.S. events to six events around the world. In May, ESPN announced this expansion plan and launched a formal bid process to determine the location of three new X Games events, which will join the current events in Los Angeles, Aspen and Tignes, France (where ESPN is currently partnered with Canal+). Since launching the bid process, 35 entities from 21 countries have been qualified initially to explore a bid to host a future X Games event (beginning 2013).

As X Games 17 begins this week in Los Angeles (July 28-31), ESPN will use this opportunity for qualified applicants to attend and observe the event in person. Representatives from 18 countries will be in attendance.  Immediately following the event, ESPN will host a two-day bid workshop designed to educate qualified applicants on the vision and long term strategy of X Games, as well as the details of the bid process.  The entities who have met ESPN’s initial qualification guidelines and expressed interest in potentially bidding to host future X Games events are located in countries around the world, including:

Argentina New Zealand

Australia Portugal

Austria Russia

Brazil Singapore

Canada South Africa

Chile Spain

Colombia Sweden

England Switzerland

Germany Turkey

Italy UAE

Mexico

Qualified applicants have been approved initially, but at this stage have not committed to submitting an official bid. They have only expressed an interest in moving to the next stage of the bid process. Following X Games 17, qualified applicants will have from August until January 2, 2012 to complete their bid and submit to ESPN.

In the spring of 2012, host cities will be selected to be the home of the X Games for three years and will work closely with ESPN to produce the events. The first event under the new schedule will take place in January 2013. Separately, ESPN will also be hosting a global partnership summit at X Games 17 where the global commercial opportunities for future X Games will be shared with potential sponsors and media agencies.

X Games Global Expansion

A total of 130 hours of live TV coverage across the six X Games events on ESPN networks in the U.S. and around the world will be supplemented by coverage on digital platforms, including a year-round action sports website. First and foremost, global X Games events will continue to spotlight the world’s best action sports athletes in BMX, Skateboard, Moto X, and Rally Car Racing at the X Games; and Skiing, Snowboard and Snowmobile at the Winter X Games.  Each X Games event will take on its own distinguishing character that will set it apart from the others, including the introduction of new sports and cultural elements based on the locations themselves.  In addition, the X Games will continue to showcase and celebrate action sports competition while also highlighting the artistic and social elements inherent in the action sports lifestyle.

This expansion will be the first of its kind for the franchise in terms of size, scope and scale, but since 1998 the X Games has successfully organized smaller events, qualifiers and demonstrations in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Philippines and Dubai.

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For media information, including press releases, logos and additional images from past events, log on to www.espneventmedia.com.

For general information, log on to www.xgames.com. Follow the X Games on Twitter at Twitter.com/xgames.

Contacts:

Katie Moses Swope, 310-339-4552 or [email protected]

Paul Melvin, +44 (0)208 222 2104 or [email protected]