ESPN's production of the X Games, formerly the Extreme
Games, begins Monday and will run for seven days from Newport,
RI. X-Games spokesperson Chris Stiepock noted ESPN lost money on
the games last year, but is spending $10M again this year to
produce the games and "hopes to break even" (Tom Mooney,
Providence JOURNAL-BULLETIN, 6/21). Sponsorship of the event is
"sold out in all categories," according to Stuart Elliott of the
N.Y. TIMES. The 13 sponsors include returnees AT&T, Nike,
General Motors and PepsiCo. Among the new sponsors are Bell
helmets and Coors beer. Sponsors purchase integrated packages,
which include signage, presence on ESPNET SportsZone, and the X
Games road show touring exhibition (N.Y. TIMES, 6/21). In L.A.,
Tom Hoffarth notes that around 30 of the 100 ESPN cameras are
POV's "placed on equipment, courses, athletes, athletes'
relatives, etc." During the Games, a "Point Of View SWAT" team
will find different places for minicams, "so they really are
making this stuff up as they go along" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 6/21).
X Games Coordinating Producer Rich Feinberg: "The creative
opportunities are limitless" (Rachel Blount, Minneapolis STAR
TRIBUNE, 6/21).
