X Games

The X Games is an annual sports event, controlled and arranged by American sports broadcaster ESPN (with coverage also shown on its sister network ABC), which focuses on extreme sports. The X Games website has information about the games, action sports videos, photos, athletes, events, original series, news, and more.

The X Games gained media exposure due to their big name sponsors, top-tier athletes, and consistent fan attendance. As the Journal of Sport Management (2006) explains, Generation X and Generation Y are the two demographics most highly valued by marketers. This creates a broad approach on marketing towards that certain demographic, which is why the X Games marketing and economic outlook is so “out of the box.” According to ESPN (2008), in the Winter X Games inaugural year, 1997, 38,000 spectators attended the four-day event. In 1998, the attendance dropped to 25,000 spectators. But just two years later, a record attendance of 83,500 people attended the Winter X Games' East Coast debut. The X Games and Winter X Games continue to grow with the popularity of action sports and the athletes who compete in them.