The Winter X Games this weekend drew an overall attendance of 115,500, the largest four-day total for an X Games in Aspen, thanks in large part to concerts held at the event. Saturday’s crowd of 48,500 was the largest single-day attendance at a Winter X Games. Performances from Chromeo and Skrillex on Saturday drew 3,917 and 6,215 fans respectively. Shows by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa averaged about 5,000 fans. The first day of competition set a record for a Thursday at Winter X in Aspen. The addition of four ticketed concerts was part of a strategy to create a festival atmosphere at the X Games that was first launched at last year’s summer edition in Austin. Music at previous Games was either free or held offsite. Major League Gaming made its Winter X Games debut as well. “The thing for me was the notion that people were at Chromeo, then they went over to Ski Big Air, then back over to Skrillex,” said X Games Senior Dir of Events & Content Tim Reed. “It was a really good step forward in terms of bringing all of these things together.” Crowds at the Superpipe and Big Air courses grew significantly each evening after concerts as fans migrated from the music venue to sporting events. Oakley Global Dir of Action Sports Marketing Matty Swanson said the concerts were “keeping people at the venue all day.” Swanson: “That’s the most chill part. They’re drawing in different types of people and showing them things they wouldn’t normally see.” VIP ticketing, another strategy launched in Austin, “far surpassed” expectations, according to ESPN Dir of Event Development & Marketing Ryan McGuiness. VIP amenities included preferred viewing at all competitions and concerts, access to a hospitality lounge, and a two-day lift ticket for Aspen resorts. Available inventory of 90 platinum and 250 gold experiences, at $1,799 and $879, nearly sold out, said McGuinness.
SPONSORS HAPPY WITH EVENT: Sponsorship reaction has been positive, according to Issa Sawabini, a partner at marketing firm Fuse. “Everyone I’ve spoken to feels really, really good,” he said. “When you have record crowds and big stories that make it onto ‘SportsCenter,’ you have to be happy.” Reps from Harley-Davidson, Dupont Kevlar, Monster, Oakley and Jeep expressed satisfaction with on-site activation engagement.
