by The Editors on May 17, 2011
Can’t fault ESPN executives for playing into one of their few sports property strengths. Today, as just one of the items the company rolled out to advertisers during “2011 upfronts” ESPN announced that they are doubling the number of live, faux-sporting, action entertainment television events to a total of six for the coming three years, according to a story in the LA Times.
Currently, X Games events are held in Los Angeles during the summer and in Aspen, Colo., and Tignes, France, during the winter. Under the new plan, called Global X, four events will be held outside the U.S. ESPN will hold a competitive bidding process beginning in 2012 to select the three new locations, which will be signed to three-year agreements and work with ESPN to stage the events.
Not surprisingly ESPN’s Senior Vice President of Programming and Global X Games Scott Guglielmino is “incredibly excited to take the X Games to the next level.” More events, more coverage, more sponsors, more money, more dilution, more irrelevance. Sounds like a perfect plan.
[Link: LA Times and Broadcasting & Cable]
by The Editors on May 14, 2011
It’s nice to see that not much has changed when it comes to the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association Surf Summit in Los Cabos, Baja, Mexico. At their 14th Annual event held May 11-14, 2011, it appears that the usual industry suspects, drank, surfed, and sat in air-conditioned meetings rooms just as they have for the last 13 years. Click here for the official party photos with little or no commentary whatsoever. Come to think of it, that’s probably all you need to know. Can’t wait for next year.
by The Editors on May 12, 2011
For a guy responsible for millions of kids sitting indoors all day playing video games, it is so quaint that Tony Hawk announced today (May 12, 2011) that he is launching a 24 volume series of SF adventure novels for kids 10 – 14 titled, Tony Hawk’s 900 Revolution with Capstone Publishing Group, according to a story on Publishers Weekly.
The series is inspired by Hawk’s feat, first accomplished in 1999: successfully completing in a competition a 2.5 revolution, 900 degree aerial spin on his skateboard. The premise behind the series is that when Hawk lands his initial 900-degree aerial spin, a mysterious force shatters his skateboard, catapulting pieces of it all over the world. A group of teenagers set out on a quest to collect the pieces of the magical skateboard, and put it together again, thus restoring its powers.
We’d get critical, but at this point anything that gets kids away from the video games is fine with us. Happy birthday, Tony!
[Link: Publishers’ Weekly]
by The Editors on May 11, 2011
Today, French fashion giant PPR announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Transfer Holding, Inc. has begun the cash tender offer to slurp up all outstanding shares of Volcom common stock for $24.50 a share.
If all closing conditions are met, including the requirement that at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Volcom common stock (on a fully diluted basis) are tendered, any remaining shares not tendered will be converted into the right to receive the same consideration in cash in connection with a merger of Transfer Holding into Volcom. Following the transaction, Volcom will be a wholly owned subsidiary of PPR.
Not surprisingly, the Volcom board of directors has recommended that Volcom shareholders accept the offer. Looks like this deal is getting done. Time to wave Salut to the VeeCo. Follow the jump for all the nearly unintelligible details. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on May 11, 2011
The Newport Beach, California City Council voted unanimously last night (May 10, 2011) to approve a zoning change that would allow iconic 50-year-old surf shop The Frog House to remain in its current location, according to a story in the Daily Pilot.
By unanimously approving a zoning change for the store’s West Newport property, the council caused cheers from the crowd. . . “I’m stoked,” shop owner T.K. Brimer said after the vote. “The city has treated us very well at every step.”
Dealing with City Hall is never easy. It is good see things working out well this time.
[Link: The Daily Pilot]
by The Editors on May 10, 2011
Zumiez CFO Trevor Lang has reportedly resigned from his position at the core mall retailer effective in June 2011, according to a story on Reuters.
Lang, who has been with the company for four years, also resigned as chief administrative officer and secretary. . . Zumiez . . has started looking for a suitable successor.
The street apparently misses him already as the stock was down 2 percent in after hours trading.
[Link: Reuters]
by The Editors on May 10, 2011
Encinitas, California based Super Heat Games, makers of the Superheat Skateboard trading card game which is set to launch on May 24, 2011 has just received $1.6 million in a first round of VC funding from Diamond Ridge Ventures and DFJ Frontier, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The funding comes after Super Heat said in February that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Japanese trading card giant Konami Digital Entertainment, which distributes the popular Yu-Gi-Oh collectible cards. Konami will be the sole distributor of Super Heat cards in North America and South America. . . “The action sports industry is one of the fastest growing youth segments in the U.S. We feel our Super Heat Skateboard Trading Card Game will appeal to a rapidly emerging audience of action sports enthusiasts,” said Robert Reynolds, the company’s chief executive.
The trading cards feature is solid line-up of pros including Bucky Lasek, Erik Elliington, Mark Appleyard, Geoff Rowley, Bob Burnquist, Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, and more. If kids are still playing card games, and not fiddling with their iPod touches, then this could be good.
[Link: San Diego Union-Triubne]
by The Editors on May 9, 2011
We don’t follow the energy drink world too closely. We find few things uglier than cool, respected athletes peddling caffeinated sugar water. That said, we had to laugh we we saw the recent article in AdWeek touting Red Bull’s new (in America, anyway) magazine Red Bulletin. No one explains what they’re after better than URB Magazine publisher and Red Bulletin associate publisher Raymond Roker.
“The perception is that there is content and there’s advertising,” Roker adds. “We’re challenging that perception that the media industry is still holding on to. The audience grows up and understands their athlete has brand logo stickers all over the board and the helmet, and that’s OK. If the end result is a good piece of content, parsing where it comes from is missing the point.”
Roker has worked in the music media business for years so we understand why he finds it hard to believe there should be a difference between editorial and advertising, but people should understand that anyone with Roker’s perspective on “content” is definitely working solely in the “advertising” space.
For a better look at where Red Bull’s “perception challenging” eventually ends check out David Foster Wallace’s The Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment, Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, or Morgan Spurlock’s POM Wonderful presents:The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. It isn’t pretty, but then we’ve been purposefully missing the point for years.
[Link: Adweek]
by The Editors on May 9, 2011
Forzani Group, the parent company of Canada’s big box sporting goods store Sport Chek has reportedly been purchased by Canadian Tire Corp., according to a story on Bloomberg.
When we first saw this story this morning, we couldn’t have cared less about it, but after a few emails it became apparent that action brands who depend on mainstream, big-box sales to keep them rolling actually care about this stuff.
Canadian Tire, which has more than 1,200 retail and gasoline outlets, already sells bicycles and other sporting goods, as well as home items. The acquisition gives Canadian Tire Chief Executive Officer Stephen Wetmore stores under the Sport Chek and National Sports brands.
It’s nice to know that this is the last time we’ll have to mention either of these blown-out mainstream retail establishments. Good riddance.
[Link: Bloomberg]
by The Editors on May 8, 2011
Rip Curl added 19 Victoria, Australia retail shops to its quiver with the purchase of Ozmosis, according to a story on Ragtrader.com.
Rip Curl Asia Pacific CEO Steven Kay said the company was looking forward to working with its new Melbourne-headquartered team. . . . “Melbourne is one of the great epicentres of youth culture and Victoria home to some of the best surfing, skiing and snowboarding in the country, and Rip Curl wants to provide its customers with better access to the lifestyle products they need. Ozmosis can really help us do that,” Kay said.
This means Rip Curl has added 34 Australian store fronts in the last year. Looks like they’re set on staying in the game.
[Link: Ragtrader]
Can’t fault ESPN executives for playing into one of their few sports property strengths. Today, as just one of the items the company rolled out to advertisers during “2011 upfronts” ESPN announced that they are doubling the number of live, faux-sporting, action entertainment television events to a total of six for the coming three years, according to a story in the LA Times.
