Just before X Games Aspen kicks off on Friday, January 26, the brand announced that longtime action sports journalist and host Thelema Masekela will take on a new role as Head of Sports Culture.
Masekela hosted X Games for 13 years from 1999 to 2012, returning in 2023 as host and consulting producer.
With a three-year contract, Masekela's new role will allow him to influence all aspects of the X Games and serve as the public face of the brand. In addition to continuing his hosting duties, he will guide the cultural vision of the brand's sports and lifestyle elements, mentor emerging talent, and provide advice on athlete development topics throughout production.
Scott Guglielmino, interim COO of X Games, praised Masekela's influence in the action sports field. “His influence extends beyond just sports to fashion, music, art, and most importantly, the intersection of these,” he said.
In late 2022, MSP Sports Capital took over management of the X Games brand from ESPN and Disney. We've adjusted our brand and changes to our summer and winter events to truly connect with our viewers, while also considering the needs of our athletes.
As head of sports culture, Masekela will serve as a liaison between athletes and X Games executives, allowing him to shape a more athlete-driven strategy for the brand.
“X Games is a 30-year-old startup and we are very excited,” Guglielmino said. “We are in growth mode. We are working on a myriad of plans to elevate our brand, the action sports world, and above all be a platform for athlete growth. will play a key role in helping us realize our ambitious plans.”
The X Games' changes to its competition schedule in 2024 demonstrate an effort to cater to what its core audience wants to see. The popular knuckle hack event, which was first held in 2019 and has previously only featured male snowboarders and skiers (with the exception of Jamie Anderson dropping in in 2021), will also include a women's competition this year is.
Additionally, ski and snowboard street style events will return to the X Games schedule for the first time since 2013. These events are most similar to how viewers ski or snowboard themselves, with very few people jumping into a 22-foot halfpipe. It evokes sympathy from fans.
Commenting on his new role, Masekela said: “By focusing on and amplifying the natural star power of our athletes, we will create new viewership by demonstrating that the next generation of action sports can have broader real-world appeal.” “We can attract people,” he said.
One example Masekela uses is snowboarder Zeb Powell. He is a street style rider whose can't-see-be-believed clips often go viral.
Its scope extends to other professional sports as well. Masekela said Colorado Buffaloes safety Shiloh Sanders (Dion's son) posted a video of himself snowboarding a few weeks ago that went viral online.
“Saunders performs some pretty technical tricks at the terrain park, and at the end a shocked friend asks him how he learned that trick,” Masekela said. “Shiloh's deadpan reply was, 'Since I started seeing Zeb Powell.'”
Boston Celtics star shooting guard Jaylen Brown also befriended Powell and took him to Celtics games.
“By diligently building on the crossover appeal of Zeb and the many athletes like him as the next generation of X Games stars, we can gain new audiences over the long term,” Masekela said. “Star power, we have a lot.”
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