Sponsors are "lining up to woo” participants in obstacle course and extreme sports events, while companies are "feeding the demand for feats of daring, and business is soaring,” according to CNBC's Carl Quintanilla. The network on Thursday night aired the documentary, “The New High: Extreme Sports,” which examining how these types of events have now become mainstream and the popularity continues to grow. Quintanilla examined the rise of the Spartan Race obstacle course race, which has over 450,000 people participating this year. Quintanilla noted annual revenues for obstacle course racing now top $350M "built on a nation of office drones aching to escape their cubicles and get dirty." Spartan Race has signed marketing deals with Reebok, Panasonic and NBC Sports. But despite those deals and the $100 entry fees, Spartan Race co-Founder & CEO Joe de Sena said "profits remain elusive.”
PLANS OF ACTION: GoPro Senior VP/Marketing Paul Crandall said of athletes using the company's gear, “Those guys really bring the brand to life through their personalities and what they do. They bring the GoPros along and really capture all of it. We get to reap the benefits of all that content.” Meanwhile, Quintanilla noted Nitro Circus, the 40-city North American action sports tour started by X Gamer Travis Pastrana, is expected to bring in $35M in ticket revenue and after securing $30M "in venture capital” and a multiyear TV deal with NBC Sports. Meanwhile, Quintanilla noted the “risks inherent in extreme sports have given as least one company” pause, as Cliff Bar in ’14 “dropped sponsorship of five pro rock climbers” ("The New High: Extreme Sports," CNBC, 6/18).
