Singapore, 29 July 1999. ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, will stage an international extension of the X Games in Phuket, Thailand from November 1st to 7th. The event comprises the Asian X Games Qualifier with a new component called the Disney Channel/ ESPN Junior X Games.
ESPN’s decision to expand the signature extreme sports competition to an international level comes hot on the heels of its most successful X Games to date this past June/July in San Francisco. The annual X Games have become a worldwide showcase which reach millions of viewers worldwide. In Asia alone, the 1999 X Games was transmitted to over 46 million homes on ESPN.
‘Extreme sports have made their appearance in Asia since 1995 and since then both viewers and athletes themselves are growing exponentially in number. Coupled with the success of last year’s Asian X Games Qualifier, the next step is to officially expand the X Games onto an international platform. The 1999 event coming up in Phuket will bring the X Games closer to new fans in Asia not only on-ground but on-air,’ said Alexander Brown, managing director of ESPN STAR Sports.
‘Folks watch X Games and draw to it like a magnet. We will be reaching millions of males and females, a target audience between 8 and 34 years, the potential for sponsors and advertisers is huge!’ added Brown.
1999 ASIAN X GAMES QUALIFIER ~ NOVEMBER 4 – 7
ESPN plans to stage X Games Qualifiers in the coming year in other regions of the world. In Asia, the 1999 Asian X Games Qualifier will be organised by the ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group. The event will take place in Phuket, Thailand.
Athletes primarily from Asia, Australia, and Japan will compete in aggressive in-line skating (street and vert), wakeboarding and sport climbing (speed and bouldering) competitions. In addition to the competitions, there will also be bicycle stunt riding and skateboarding exhibitions. The top competitors from each sport will qualify for the 2000 X Games in San Francisco. This year alone, non-U.S. athletes won 43% of the 84 medals awarded at the 1999 X Games.
ESPN International plans to televise six original hours from the qualifier on several networks including ESPN Asia, ESPN Taiwan, Sports-i ESPN (Japan), Sky Sports (New Zealand) and ESPN Australia.
DISNEY CHANNEL/ ESPN JUNIOR X GAMES
A first-time event, the Junior X Games, will also take place on November 1st and 2nd. The Junior X Games will provide ‘competitive fun’ with children aged 10 to 14 from twelve different countries throughout Asia Pacific. They will be competing in events modelled after the X Games.
The two-day Junior X Games will include clinics and X Games workshops with professional X Games athletes. There will also be competitions using modified ramps, smaller climbing walls and a mini-halfpipe.
‘We are excited about the inaugural Junior X Games which will give an opportunity for younger fans to experience the thrill of the games,’ said Ed Borgerding, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Walt Disney Television International/ Asia Pacific. ‘The Junior X Games will stress the importance of safety, develop skills and groom future X Games stars in a fun yet competitive environment.’
In addition, the Junior X Games brings the interactive elements to the public with opportunities to try the different ramps, walls and equipment with the fun Xperience.
Five original hours of coverage from the Junior X Games will be televised on the Disney Channel throughout Asia, as well as coverage on the terrestrial Disney branded programs throughout the region.
Additional details of the Asian X Games Qualifier and the Junior X Games, including sponsors, athletes, schedules and more will be announced at a later date.
ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters, ESPN Inc. and STAR TV. We are Asia’s leading sports broadcaster that reaches over 46 million households for ESPN and close to 45 million households for STAR Sports. Our networks bring the world’s premier live sports and leading regional events to viewers 24 hours a day. The ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group, formerly Sports Corporation, stages, manages and promotes sporting events around Asia.
Walt Disney Television International (Asia Pacific) is responsible for the consolidated international free and pay television activities of The Walt Disney Company and ABC Inc. in the region. These activities include program sales (Buena Vista International Television), production and the development and management of Disney Channels and other international broadcasting investments in the Asia Pacific.
To date, four of the country-specific Disney Channels outside of the United States have been launched in the Asia Pacific via the uplink facility in Singapore: Disney Channel- Taiwan (March 1995), Disney Channel – Australia (June 1996), Disney Channel – Malaysia (October 1996) and Disney Channel – Middle East (April 1997). In addition, locally hosted and produced Disney branded programming blocks on terrestrial television can be seen across the region.
Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader In Sports, includes four domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS), ESPN International (20 international networks and syndication), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Regional Television, SportsTicker, and ESPN Enterprises, overseeing brand extensions such as ESPN Zone, pay subscription packages, consumer products and ESPN – The Store.
For further information, please contact:
Jessica Lee, Director, Corporate Communications, ESPN STAR Sports
e-mail: leej@espnstar.com Tel: (65) 488 6132
OR, Anna Lee, Corporate Communications Manager, ESPN STAR Sports
email: leea@espnstar.com Tel : (65) 488 6129
OR, Jon Niermann, Vice President Marketing, Walt Disney Television International/ Asia Pacific. email: jon_niermann@studio.disney.com Tel: (852) 2854 5636
OR, Josh Krulewitz, Manager, Communications, ESPN, Inc.
email: krulewitzj@espn.com Tel: (860) 766-2000