ESPN Signs Sponsors for Latin America X-Games Qualifiers
ESPN has signed adidas, MasterCard, and Timnet as gold sponsors for its first-ever Latin American X Games Qualifier, it was announced today by Julio Bartolo, general manager, ESPN Brasil.
The event, which will be held this week in Rio de Janiero (March 21 - 24), will feature more than 200 of the region's leading action sports athletes competing for prize money, medals, and an invitation to X Games VIII in Philadelphia in the United States in August 2002.
Sponsorship benefits include television exposure on three networks including ESPN Latin America, the leading pan-regional sports network in the region, ESPN Brasil, which focuses on Brazilian sporting events and locally-produced sports news and information, and TV Globo, the leading television broadcaster in Brazil. Additional sponsorship elements include complete on-site signage and hospitality opportunities as well as exposure on the event's official internet website www.latinxgames.com.
adidas has been associated with the International X Games since 1998 when the brand sponsored ESPN's first overseas expansion of the X Games franchise, the Asian X Games Qualifier. adidas most recently sponsored the inaugural European X Games Qualifier staged last July in Barcelona and the fourth installment of the Asian X Games Qualifier held last month in Kuala Lumpur. MasterCard and Timnet, one of the leading wireless services providers in Brazil, are newcomers to the International X Games.
'Creating successful sponsor partnerships is an important element of any event structure,' said Mark Reilly, vice president and general manager, global X Games. 'With long time X Games sponsor adidas, combined with the first time support of MasterCard and Timnet, we feel we have a powerful sponsorship platform on which to establish and build the X Games in Latin America.'
'adidas recognized the international potential of the X Games several years ago when we sponsored the first X Games Qualifier in Asia,' said Luciano Kleiman, brand marketing manager, adidas. 'Expansion of the franchise to a key market like Latin America is important to the growth of both brands, and we're thrilled to be a part of it.'
'We are delighted to participate in the expansion of the X Games franchise to Latin America,' said Rogerio Bonfiglioli, vice president of institutional marketing, MasterCard Brazil. 'The X Games has established itself as the premier marketing vehicle to reach the young action sports audience whether in the U.S. or abroad.'
ESPN International will be the primary organizer of the Latin American X Games Qualifier, but will work in conjunction with TV Globo, who will be host broadcaster. TV Globo will provide production facilities and personnel to help produce television coverage and has committed to televise a minimum of three hours of the event live during its 'Sports Spectacular' program on Sunday, March 24.
ESPN Brasil will televise updates and highlights of the Latin American X Games Qualifier on a daily basis during its news and information shows.
In April, ESPN Brasil will televise six full hours of coverage of the entire three-day event. As an indication of the significance of the Latin American X Games Qualifier, ESPN2 in the United States and Eurosport in Europe are scheduled to air a highlight program of the event later in the year.
Within the last 12 months, more than a dozen X Games-related events have been staged around the world, including the summer X Games and Winter X Games in the United States, X Games Qualifiers in Barcelona and Kuala Lumpur, and the Asian Xtour, which brought the X Games to China for the first time.
For further information please contact:
ESPN
Chris Bellitti
T: +1 212. 916.9889
E: chris.bellitti@espn.com
The event, which will be held this week in Rio de Janiero (March 21 - 24), will feature more than 200 of the region's leading action sports athletes competing for prize money, medals, and an invitation to X Games VIII in Philadelphia in the United States in August 2002.
Sponsorship benefits include television exposure on three networks including ESPN Latin America, the leading pan-regional sports network in the region, ESPN Brasil, which focuses on Brazilian sporting events and locally-produced sports news and information, and TV Globo, the leading television broadcaster in Brazil. Additional sponsorship elements include complete on-site signage and hospitality opportunities as well as exposure on the event's official internet website www.latinxgames.com
adidas has been associated with the International X Games since 1998 when the brand sponsored ESPN's first overseas expansion of the X Games franchise, the Asian X Games Qualifier. adidas most recently sponsored the inaugural European X Games Qualifier staged last July in Barcelona and the fourth installment of the Asian X Games Qualifier held last month in Kuala Lumpur. MasterCard and Timnet, one of the leading wireless services providers in Brazil, are newcomers to the International X Games.
'Creating successful sponsor partnerships is an important element of any event structure,' said Mark Reilly, vice president and general manager, global X Games. 'With long time X Games sponsor adidas, combined with the first time support of MasterCard and Timnet, we feel we have a powerful sponsorship platform on which to establish and build the X Games in Latin America.'
'adidas recognized the international potential of the X Games several years ago when we sponsored the first X Games Qualifier in Asia,' said Luciano Kleiman, brand marketing manager, adidas. 'Expansion of the franchise to a key market like Latin America is important to the growth of both brands, and we're thrilled to be a part of it.'
'We are delighted to participate in the expansion of the X Games franchise to Latin America,' said Rogerio Bonfiglioli, vice president of institutional marketing, MasterCard Brazil. 'The X Games has established itself as the premier marketing vehicle to reach the young action sports audience whether in the U.S. or abroad.'
ESPN International will be the primary organizer of the Latin American X Games Qualifier, but will work in conjunction with TV Globo, who will be host broadcaster. TV Globo will provide production facilities and personnel to help produce television coverage and has committed to televise a minimum of three hours of the event live during its 'Sports Spectacular' program on Sunday, March 24.
ESPN Brasil will televise updates and highlights of the Latin American X Games Qualifier on a daily basis during its news and information shows.
In April, ESPN Brasil will televise six full hours of coverage of the entire three-day event. As an indication of the significance of the Latin American X Games Qualifier, ESPN2 in the United States and Eurosport in Europe are scheduled to air a highlight program of the event later in the year.
Within the last 12 months, more than a dozen X Games-related events have been staged around the world, including the summer X Games and Winter X Games in the United States, X Games Qualifiers in Barcelona and Kuala Lumpur, and the Asian Xtour, which brought the X Games to China for the first time.
For further information please contact:
ESPN
Chris Bellitti
T: +1 212. 916.9889
E: chris.bellitti@espn.com