X GAMES SCALES BACK EVENTS!
ESPN today announced it will not continue with X Games events in Barcelona, Munich, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil and Tignes, France
The news will come as a big blow to European fans of the X-Games as the resort of Tignes will no longer be part of the contest.
The Tignes event has attracted the biggest names in snowboarding and has seen some milestone performances, including Iouri Podladtchikov landing the first-ever YOLO Flip in Snowboard SuperPipe.
ESPN had the following to say:
"We are proud to have run world-class competitions for both the athletes and spectators; however the overall economics of these events do not provide a sustainable future path."
The company remains fully committed to the X Games brand and its full-scale competitions in Aspen, Colorado and Austin, Texas – its newest host city – and we will continue to distribute these premier events around the world.
The X-Games expanded to six sites in 2012 and The focus shifted to new new events with an emphasis on music and culture, with film screenings and headline acts such as as 50 Cent, Awolnation and Major Lazer.
Although the change of focus was somewhat successful the future of the brand looks to focus on a less is more mentality
In 2014, the 19th year of X Games, competitions will be held in Aspen from Jan. 23-26 and Austin from May 15-18.
Next year will be the first time Austin hosts a summer X Games, ending the event's 11-year tenure in Los Angeles.