Three Things People Should Know About the X Games
ESPN Communications Senior VP Chris LaPlaca interviews X Games exec Tim Reed after the 2018 Minneapolis event
It had been too long since I had attended an X Games event, and that was recently remedied at the X Games Minneapolis.
Having been at the first X Games in Providence, R.I., in 1995, when I thought it might be cool to personally try the now long-gone street luge event until I saw 1) how fast those things went and 2) the skin-tight leather uniforms, I’ve always known about the emphasis on evolution the X Games represent.
What I saw in Minneapolis really drove home that theme to me. More events. Different events. State of the art courses inside a massive stadium. Families with young kids roaming the concourses. A huge expo outside fueled by a wide variety of sponsors. The fusion of youthful culture and music with concerts every night after the competition concluded. Athletes from around the world.
All of that told me one thing: There was a lot I had “missed” about how far and how wide the X Games had evolved. For example, X Games Minneapolis 2018 content across ESPN’s television networks enjoyed double-digit growth on television, triple-digit growth on digital and streaming services, and video growth across social media networks enjoyed triple-digit growth across all pages. It marks the second-straight event to see double-digit growth, following the X Games Aspen event in January.
So I was happy to catch up with Vice President, X Games Events and Content, Tim Reed, and hear his thoughts on the top three things people don’t understand about the X Games.
Samantha Baron produced the video.
