Noting that "a growing segment of Gen Xers, especially
teens, are disenchanted with team sports' big-business
element," BRANDWEEK's Lefton & Warner examine the growing
corporate interest in "Extreme" sports. While marketers
have been "catching on to the allure of these sports, and
rushing to cash in," sponsorships, endorsements, prize
money, made-for-TV events and conventional ads featuring
action sports imagery all add up to total revenue that
"likely already well exceeds" $100M. Muller Sports Group
CEO Roberto Muller: "Extreme has become kind of a magic
word for marketers, but I don't see it ever attracting the
dollars necessary to really rival big sports. They have to
stay relatively small to be legit, because the people you
are trying to reach will think that once Coke has it, it's
no longer cool." But Lefton & Warner add that ESPN's X-
Games "has demonstrated that alt-sports can be a viable TV
property, with the number of blue-chip sponsors expected to
reach 20 this year, nearly triple the number on board for
the inaugural season" (BRANDWEEK, 1/27). In Chicago, Carol
Slezak previews ESPN's Winter X-Games: "Here comes mighty
ESPN, anointing the X-Games our national youth pastime and
programming them down our throats. What's going on here?
Money, mainly" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/29).
