Dew It Up: Viacom Partnering With NBC On Action Sports Tour

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Viacom Partners With NBC For Dew Tour

DETAILS OF THE DEAL: The deal will see MTV commit to expand Dew Tour programming on its networks, collaborate on consumer products and licensing, and work with NBC to bolster AST's digital offerings. MTV2 and MTV will become the home of all lifestyle programming for AST, giving the tour instant access to the coveted 12-24 demo, an audience it struggled to reach with NBC and USA Network. Ebersol said, "There is no network in the entire landscape of network platforms that reaches the young as dominantly as MTV networks does." MTV has been rumored as a potential partner for AST since Live Nation's exit. The two first partnered in '07 on two 30-minute action sports shows, "Action Sports: The Freestyle Life," which appeared 10 times on MTV2. Since then, MTV has aired two seasons of "Life of Ryan," a show featuring AST skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. Attendance for the Dew Tour increased by 15% last year. The fourth season of the tour kicks off June 19 in Baltimore.

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