Buying the X Games with Olympic Icon Apolo Ohno

December 10, 2021

AI Summary

5 min read

In 2021, ESPN put the X Games up for sale. The asking price started at $100 million, then dropped to $50 million for all the IP. No one bought it. The hosts of this episode think that was a mistake — and they want to form a DAO to buy it themselves.

The central argument is that the X Games has languished not because extreme sports lost their audience, but because ESPN and Disney failed to adapt. The communities around motocross, skateboarding, snowboarding, and other action sports remain fervent. The host points to Fox Racing, where fans tattoo the logo on their bodies, as evidence. The problem is that the X Games became a stale, twice-a-year broadcast event when it could be something much bigger.

The hosts propose buying the X Games IP for $50 million and rebuilding it around two things that did not exist when ESPN owned it: personality-driven content and Web3-native fan participation.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Episode Cold Open & Host Banter** - Hosts Greg and Sahel introduce the episode and their guest, Apolo Ohno, and tease the central idea: buying the X Games.
2 (00:44) **Host Sleep Discussion & Ad Break** - Greg complains about poor sleep, leading to a discussion about sleep optimization and an ad for Eight Sleep.
3 (03:31) **The Chess Analogy: Culture Driving Niche Sports** - Sahel uses the Magnus Carlsen vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi chess championship and the "Queen's Gambit" effect to illustrate how media can popularize a niche activity.
4 (06:03) **The Core Thesis: Buying the X Games** - Sahel pitches the idea of buying the X Games IP from ESPN for $50 million and reimagining it.
5 (09:13) **Web3 Vision for the X Games** - Greg and Sahel brainstorm a Web3-native version of the X Games.
6 (14:41) **Introducing Apolo Ohno** - The hosts transition to their guest, Olympic icon Apolo Ohno, and reflect on his career and the surreal nature of the conversation.
7 (16:36) **Pitching the X Games Idea to Apolo Ohno** - Sahel pitches the X Games DAO concept directly to Ohno, who provides his expert perspective.

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Show Notes

In a Web3 universe, anything is possible. In this episode of Where It Happens, hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) put that belief to the test with an idea so big that they had to run it by someone legendary. They pitch Olympic icon Apolo Ohno (@ApoloOhno) on their idea to buy the X Games and how to take it to the next level. Other topics include reimagining the Olympics, Apolo's idea for an NFT Museum, and why it's important to escape your mental prison.

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