ESPN’s X Games announces first global sponsors, local activations for X Games Aspen
January 21, 2013
As X Games Aspen kicks off this week, ESPNhas secured four global sponsors who will participate in the property’s global expansion, which includes a six-event schedule in 2013. GoPro, Red Bull, Jeep and Ford will have a presence across X Games events in Aspen, Colorado; Tignes, France; Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil; Munich, Germany; Barcelona, Spain and Los Angeles, California. Jeep and Ford will share the automotive category, with Jeep having a presence in the winter events and Ford participating in summer events. America’s Navy is also an official X Games partner and will have a presence in Aspen and Los Angeles as well as within the Global X Games telecasts in the US.
In addition to the Global sponsors, X Games Aspen has secured several sponsors who will participate on a local level. Those include: Office Depot, The North Face, Repreve, Loctite, OtterBox, Yoplait and Monster Cable.
Robust sponsor activations accompany global sponsor commitments including but not limited to: rights to all official X Games marks and logos, entitlements, and prominent positions across all X Games cultural elements. Global partners will have a presence across all events, including generous on course and event signage as well as tickets and VIP hospitality experiences on site. Additionally, global sponsors will be incorporated into comprehensive X Games media plans that will run across ESPN’s TV, Digital, Print and radio entities.
At X Games Aspen, Jeep will be the entitlement sponsor of the Slopestyle course, which will incorporate two Jeep vehicles. Red Bull will execute several brand integrations on site including unique course branding, photo booths and athlete autograph signings. In addition to entitling the GoPro Snowmobile Best Trick event, GoPro cameras will provide “Course Preview” features that take viewers through many of the courses via GoPro cameras. America’s Navy will feature fan pull-up challenges, with the winners walking away with a new snowboard, and will activate via social media tied to the America’s Navy Snowboard Big Air event. Additionally, Repreve, a registered trademark of Unifi, Inc and proud recycling sponsor of the games, will provide recycling stations throughout the venue and Office Depot will host a branded interactive lounge for spectators.
The X Games Aspen telecast will feature athlete vignettes tied to Red Bull and The North Face athletes. Athlete produced GoPro segments will be integrated into the coverage.
In May, ESPN announced it would be expanding the X Games to Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil; Munich, Germany and Barcelona, Spain – joining X Games Aspen, Los Angeles and Tignes taking the premier action sports event global.
ESPN will present X Games Aspen 2013 from January 24 – 27 bringing all the action back to Buttermilk Mountain for a 12th consecutive year. Celebrating 17 years of the winter version of X Games, this year’s competition will feature more than 200 athletes competing for medals and prize money in the sports of Ski, Snowboard and Snowmobile. ESPN and ABC will combine to televise 20 hours of live X Games Aspen competition in high definition. In addition, the Worldwide Leader in Action Sports will present all the X Games action on ESPN 3D.
The full list of first wave athletes invited to compete at X Games Aspen 2013 is available at www.xgames.com.