Street League Skateboarding Putting All Live Coverage On Streaming Platform ETN

Street League Skateboarding will only distribute live coverage of its '17 world tour on a league-affiliated, subscription streaming platform ETN, while the league has signed a replays and highlights deal with ESPN2/ABC. It will announce the news tomorrow. SLS for the past three years has aired on FS1. ETN beginning with the '17 SLS SB Pro Open in Barcelona on May 20 will be the exclusive home to the live events. ESPN2 will air taped recaps shortly thereafter, and the following week, ABC will air highlights as part of its World of X Games series. SLS co-Founder & President Brian Atlas said, "This is really expanding the reach of the tour, and it shows there’s more eyes on the product than ever before.” ETN is a startup streaming site launched earlier this year by Street League’s investors and other outside backers. The platform advertises subscriptions for $8 per month or $80 per year, but SLS will be free to view. Atlas said he does not expect any downside to limiting live coverage to the subscription service, saying the bifurcated strategy will lure casual viewers on ABC and ESPN2, while monetizing hardcore fans on the platform. Aligning with the X Games brand, nominally a competitor to SLS, also was an easy call, he said, citing a good working relationship with ESPN VP/X Games Tim Reed and others. The X Games, now with just one summer stop annually, helps the SLS by promoting its key athletes. “We look at the X Games as complimentary in the sense that our biggest stars are usually the podium guys, and it’s a great amplifier around the athletes in SLS,” Atlas said. "But beyond that, World of X has proven to be a solid partner for other leagues, like the World Surf League, so there’s been a precedent set that they partner with other properties and add additional coverage and programming that we think reaches a broader audience."