EXPN 2Day and X.B.S. debut on ESPN2 this month
February 3, 2000
EXPN 2Day and X.B.S., a pair of interactive programs co-produced by fans, will debut on ESPN2 this month in conjunction with the launch of EXPN.com, a new Web site dedicated to action sports enthusiasts, lifestyles and events. EXPN.com, which launched in Beta (test) format today, is produced by GO.com (NYSE:GO).
"These two series will establish unique and innovative connections between Internet and television by involving online users in the creative process," said Ron Semiao, vice president, programming, ESPN. "It's an exciting new venture with limitless possibilities."
EXPN 2Day launches Thursday, February 17 (10:30 p.m. ET) on ESPN2 with a recap of the Winter X Games, contested February 3-6 in Mount Snow, Vermont. Going forward, EXPN 2Day will be a news, information and lifestyle program hosted by popular bike stunt athlete Rick Thorne, with segments taped at a sports or lifestyle event each month. This monthly series also airs on ESPN.
Visitors to EXPN.com can vote on what athlete feature they want to see each month, what tricks they'd like to see executed and explained by top pros, and can even submit future story ideas. In addition, fans will be encouraged to upload to EXPN.com digital video or still photos of themselves doing alternative sports to be used in EXPN 2Day music videos. This concept was introduced at the 1999 X Games in San Francisco on ESPN.com
X.B.S., a monthly show premiering on ESPN2 Friday, February 25 (3:30 p.m. ET), will consist of interviews with two high-profile action sports athletes each show within a one-on-one interview setting. It will be hosted by X Games commentator Paul Higgins. EXPN.com users will be directed to submit questions to be answered on the show, as well within a complementary live audio Webcast on EXPN.com. This series also airs on ESPN.
EXPN 2Day and X.B.S. will benefit from the unparalleled promotional resources of ESPN, Inc. and GO.com. GO.com's numerous Web sites boast a reach of more than 21 million unique users per month (December 1999 Media Metrix), with ESPN Internet Group owning a reach greater than its three nearest Internet sports competitors combined. ESPN operates four domestic cable networks, ESPN Radio Network and ESPN The Magazine.
EXPN.com's three sports channels - Street, Water and Snow -- are produced by the Freelance Athlete Network: action sports enthusiasts themselves, keeping true to the self-expressive, pro-active attitude prevalent among the target audience. EXPN.com combines content such as event news and results, athlete bios, interviews and product reviews, while simultaneously creating an online community via bulletin boards and chat rooms.
"Normal," EXPN.com's online lifestyle magazine, contains fashion, music, art, video game, gear and food reviews, travel information, sport culture antique information, medical information, and an ongoing comic strip, "Monster Planet." The service will also house an e-commerce section in the near future.
GO.com was created as part of the recent merger between Infoseek Corporation and The Walt Disney Company's online unit, Buena Vista Internet Group (BVIG). GO.com oversees many of the Web's most popular sites and services, including the go.com portal, ABC.com, ABCNEWS.com, Disney.com, Disneystore.com, DisneyTravel.com, ESPN.com, EXPN.com, NFL.com, NBA.com, NASCAR Online, ESPNstore.com, ABCsports.com, Family.com and Mr. Showbiz.
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