MSP Sports Capital · Vice President of Brand, Content & Marketing
Relaunched the X Games
X Games had 30 years of history, a new private equity owner, and a brand that only existed two weekends a year. Everyone knew the name. Nobody was talking about it.
My mandate as VP of Brand, Content & Marketing: make it matter the other 50 weeks.
I built the brand vision, narrative framework, and content strategy that took X Games from a broadcast-only business to a year-round content ecosystem — award-winning YouTube and livestreams built around the ABC and ESPN broadcasts, athlete and creator-driven storytelling built to compound. Developed the creative standards, narrative system, content strategy and launch plans for key tentpoles across social, live streaming, and broadcast. A team of 22. No paid media. Every number below is organic.
Then I made the content pay. Branded content strategy translated story into audience and revenue growth — 2.5x sponsorship and ad revenue in a year. Led media and content representation negotiations with CAA, built an original IP pipeline including a Prime Video follow-doc with Hello Sunshine and a Netflix development deal, and turned a 30-year archive into a new line of business with a FAST channel deal with Roku for X Games TV.
That ecosystem became the platform for what came next: part of the leadership team that developed XGL, X Games' shift from tentpole events to a year-round, team-based league. I led the brand, content, and audience strategy for the transition.
How it worked
The engine was a flywheel between social and broadcast. Social edits built personality and fandom year-round, broadcast paid it off live, and the live moments fed social again -- casual scrollers became viewers, viewers became fans.
- Interactive livestreaming and fan participation -- chat-driven segments, co-streams, and live voting that made watching something you do, not something you receive
- X Games Mode hype meter and context graphics -- on-screen tools that told new audiences why a trick mattered, in real time. Broadcast inventory sponsors could own
- Two-boxes and social edits cut into broadcast -- the personality formats fans followed all year, showing up in the live show. Athletes as people, not bibs
- Talent out of the booth and onto the courses -- mic'd athletes, sideline access, warm-ups on camera. Context and drama over commentary
Results (organic)
- +1,040% impressions YoY
- +132% engagement, +108% video views
- +31% broadcast and streaming viewership YoY
- +63% organic social followers YoY
- 2.5x sponsorship and advertising revenue
- FAST channel deal with Roku for X Games TV
- 98% positive sentiment
If you own a legacy property people remember but no longer think about, this is the playbook.