AI Summary
5 min readSpecial: State of the Union: DAOing the X Games
The Idea That Exploded
On Friday morning, the host released an episode pitching an idea: buy the X Games from ESPN/Disney and reimagine it with a DAO structure. By Monday, the idea had gone viral — over two million impressions on the thread, athletes flooding his DMs, and interest from Red Bull, Rockstar, Monster Energy, major agencies, and investor groups. Lindsay Vonn messaged him. Des Bryant reached out. Salima Masekela, who hosted the X Games for years, was excited. The host describes the response as "complete insanity, totally unexpected."
What struck him most was the nostalgia. People who weren't extreme sports fans reached out with memories of watching the X Games as kids, of Tony Hawk and Shaun White. "What kid did not play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater?" he says. "Every single fucking kid played that game because it was dope." That broad cultural reach convinced him the idea had legs beyond the core community.
Why a Pure DAO Bid Won't Work
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:02) **Episode Introduction & The Viral Weekend** - Host sets up the special "State of the Union" episode to recap the explosive response to the X Games acquisition pitch.
- 2 (01:34) **The Original Thesis: Web3-ifying the X Games** - Host recaps the core idea: form a DAO to buy the X Games and reimagine it with both Web2 media moments and Web3 community ownership.
- 3 (05:59) **The Core Challenge: Why a Pure DAO Bid Won't Work** - Host explains the unique complexity of buying an operating business versus a static asset like the Constitution.
- 4 (07:41) **The Hybrid Approach: The Proposed Path Forward** - Host introduces the "hybrid approach" as the most viable strategy: partner with a credible investment fund while the DAO takes a minority stake.
- 5 (10:09) **Current Status: Conversations with Investment Groups** - Host details the immediate next steps: vetting the investment funds that reached out over the weekend.
- 6 (12:40) **The "Four-Minute Mile" Moment for Web3** - Host frames the potential acquisition as a landmark event for the entire Web3 space.
- 7 (13:48) **Call to Action for Athlete Legends** - Host directly calls on Tony Hawk, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Shaun White to get involved in the bid.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Are they really going to try to buy The X Games? On the last episode of Where It Happens, co-hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) shared a plan to buy the X Games. Next thing you know, athletes and investors answered the call and wanted to bring the vision to life. In this special episode of Where It Happens, Sahil explores what’s next in order to turn this crazy idea into a reality. We also bring on a special guest, Sam Schwartzstein (@schwartzsteins) who helped reimagine the XFL to discuss further.
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