Rob Dyrdek’s Street League announced a multiyear partnership with ESPN that will see the new skateboarding competition distributed in more than 198 countries. The '10 Street League DC Pro Tour fueled by Monster is a new street skateboarding competition developed by Dyrdek in collaboration with IMG that will feature the top street skaters going head-to-head for more than $1M at competitions in three cities. The tour will stop in Glendale, Ariz. (Aug. 28), Ontario, Calif. (Sept. 11), and Las Vegas (Sept. 25). ESPN will air tape-delayed coverage of each respective stop beginning Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 8:00pm ET on ESPN2 and will continue its coverage of each stop every Wednesday at the same time slot through September 29th. Dyrdek said, “I want that tune-in factor of primetime. I want to have that rather than hope people on a Sunday settle down to watch their favorite skater at 3 o’clock. I want to prove that people will tune-in and watch skateboarding. The Maloofs and Dew Tour, they’re not doing it. That’s my goal." IMG is helping to sell sponsorship and serving as a business consultant on the project ( Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal ). A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN : Dyrdek said, "I want to build an elite property, and TV is a part of that. It needs to be built with partners who believe in the long term; it couldn't just be someone who wanted to put it on TV. That's why I chose a multiyear deal as opposed to just going out and getting the thing on TV." When asked about how the deal came about, he said, "When I sat with IMG, I knew that instant. It was love at first sight. They understood the vision. Same with the TV guys. It's the hard reality that everyone at ESPN has been living in this world in a real way for 15 years. They understand this is about more than just me using my influence to get the best dudes. There's a grander vision, and they really understand." Dyrdek reportedly was considering a "purely digital play" for Street League had a TV deal not materialized. He said, "Worst-case scenario, if I never found the right place and didn't think the deal would work for the long term, I would have considered (online-only) to prove the idea and then build on it" ( ESPN.com, 7/2 ).
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