Roku is continuing to add exclusive sports rights to its streaming platform.
The latest deal will make Roku the exclusive streaming home for the X Games, the extreme sports competition that was founded by ESPN but sold to private equity in 2022. The deal will kick off in January with X Games Aspen, and continue with a “major” summer competition to follow.
The X Games will be available on the recently launched Roku Sports Channel, with Roku also launching an X Games FAST channel, and an X Games Zone that functions as a streaming hub for the competition.
Roku has been aggressive in seeking out opportunistic sports rights, as well as rights to sports-adjacent programming, as it looks to bolster its Roku Channel and expand its advertising business. It cut its first exclusive sports deal last year with Formula E, and has since picked up MLB games and NBA G League games. it also picked up streaming rights to NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, The Rich Eisen Show, and other sports programming.
It launched its Roku Sports Channel over the summer to highlight its live sports and sports programming.
“This partnership with X Games is the perfect marriage between content and distribution—more than half of The Roku Channel’s monthly FAST audience are between the ages of 18 and 49, and the X Games have built a lifestyle brand that sits right at the intersection of sports and youth culture,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports for Roku Media. “We look forward to using the reach of Roku to make these competitions — and the athletes at the heart of it all — accessible to millions of viewers for free.”
“As the new CEO of X Games, I’m thrilled to announce this partnership with Roku, a platform that shares our commitment to delivering the best possible experience for our athletes and fans,” added Jeremy Bloom, CEO of the X Games. “This collaboration ensures that the world’s premier action sports events will reach a broader audience, while celebrating the brilliance, creativity, and passion of the incredible athletes who make the X Games the ultimate stage for action sports.”
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