At inaugural X Games Minneapolis in collaboration with Samsung;
Streamed live exclusively on Samsung Gear VR platform in 48 countries;
Three X Games events: Skateboard Vert, BMX Street and Skateboard Street Amateurs.

For the first time ever, ESPN’s X Games, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, will bring selected live events to fans in immersive virtual reality at the inaugural X Games Minneapolis, July 13-16. Three X Games disciplines – Skateboard Vert, BMX Street and Skateboard Street Amateurs – will be streamed live exclusively to 48 countries on Samsung Gear VR through the Samsung VR app.

The three featured X Games events will be shot on 360-degree camera systems to create a fully produced, multi-camera live stream experience that includes real-time graphics, X Games talent and feature segments integrated into Samsung VR. ESPN and Samsung are working with Digital Domain, an industry-leading VR production company, to let fans experience the X Games like never before, with views of each event that put them into the action in Minneapolis no matter where they are across the globe.

“X Games has always been a laboratory for innovation and progression, both for the world’s top action sports athletes and for ESPN’s production of events and use of technology,” said Tim Reed, vice president, ESPN X Games. “We are always pushing to create new and better ways for fans to experience and interact with X Games. Working with Samsung to produce these three great events for Gear VR is an awesome example of that.”

The BMX Street and Skateboard Vert events also will be produced in 2D for ESPN’s global television feed and its international syndication partners, as well as for highlights on ABC.
Following is the VR and 2D schedule for each highlighted discipline:

Skateboard Vert – Thursday, July 13, 2017
6:45 p.m. ET – Live VR on Samsung Gear VR
9:00 p.m. ET – Highlights on ESPN
11:00 p.m. ET – ESPN’s World Feed Broadcast and ESPN3 in U.S. (Delayed)

BMX Street – Friday, July 14, 2017
6:00 p.m. ET – Live VR on Samsung Gear VR
11:30 p.m. ET – ESPN’s World Feed Broadcast and ESPN3 in U.S. (Delayed)

Saturday, July 15, 2017
3:00 p.m. ET – BMX Street Highlights on ESPN

Skateboard Street Amateurs – Saturday, July 15, 2017
6:00 p.m. ET – Live VR on Samsung Gear VR

Each event will include X Games gold medalists Jimmy Wilkens (Skateboard Vert), Chad Kerley (BMX Street) and Jagger Eaton (Skateboard Street Amateurs).

For pre-event 360 content and more information, visit www.samsungvr.com.

About X Games Minneapolis
The world’s premier action sports competition debuts July 13-16 for its first year at the new U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The event will feature more than 200 of the world’s best action sports athletes competing for medals and prize money in BMX, Skateboard and Moto X disciplines. The event will also feature world-class musical performances from A Day To Remember on Friday, Flume and Minneapolis’ own Atmosphere. All three musical performances will take place at the Commons stage, located outside U.S. Bank Stadium.

Video: Samsung Gear VR: X Games Minneapolis: https://youtu.be/9GZxVjHuJMQ

# # #