By Dipo Olowookere
After making headlines in its 2016 debut with electrifying feats and an unprecedented amount of world firsts, Nitro World Games will raise the bar even higher next year.
Created by action sports icon, Travis Pastrana, with Nitro Circus CEO and Creative Director, Mike Porra, Nitro World Games returns to Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Saturday, June 24 when Rice-Eccles Stadium hosts an adrenaline-fueled competition to see who will be crowned world champion in action sports’ most exciting disciplines: FMX, BMX, Skate, Inline and Scooter. NBC will televise the action-packed finals in primetime in the US.
Tickets to the June 24 Nitro World Games go on sale Friday, December 9 at 10:00 A.M. (Mountain time, U.S.A.) at www.nitroworldgames.com.
“Progression is what Nitro World Games is all about,” said Pastrana. “While I was so pumped to see the riders rise to the challenge this summer and send it with huge new tricks, we are working hard to take things to another level again in 2017.”
“From the roar of the stadium to the huge viewership on TV and online, it was clear that Nitro World Games struck a chord. Now we can’t wait to come back to Salt Lake City,” said Porra. “We have an obligation to both the fans and the industry to continue to innovate and we know that this year is going to be even bigger and better.”
“NBC was proud to televise last year’s inaugural Nitro World Games”, said Rob Simmelkjaer, Senior Vice President, NBC Sports Ventures. “We are looking forward once again showcasing the Games in 2017, as the Nitro Circus team continues to push action sports to new levels.”
“Utah was fortunate to host the highly successful inaugural Nitro World Games, which brought significant economic impact and media value to the state,” said Jeff Robbins, president & CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “Sports fans around the world are anxious to see the continued progression that will take place during the 2017 event.”
Nitro World Games has revitalized action sports. Mind-blowing feats like Gregg Duffy’s unprecedented FMX double frontflip, the first time the trick was ever attempted in competition, and burgeoning superstar Ryan Williams’ massive 1080 BMX frontflip have pushed riders to heights few thought possible. 25,000 people saw it all go down in Salt Lake City. Viewer numbers for NBC’s live primetime broadcast surpassed all expectations while Nitro Circus’ livestream reached a hungry global audience. To date, Nitro World Games digital content has generated over 100 million views in aggregate. Summing up the impact of Nitro World Games’ debut, legendary BMX athlete TJ Lavin said, “Take everything that you know and throw it right out the window because this is a whole new sport.” With breakthrough ramp technology, new judging and scoring formats, plus open qualifying, this is a complete reboot of action sports competition.
For fans looking to witness action sports history in person, there are a variety of Nitro World Games options to choose from. Tickets start at $19 each while Nitro Club VIP tickets – the best seats in the house plus a special VIP experience – are $79 each (all ticket prices plus applicable service fees).
Nitro World Games 2017 continues Nitro Circus’ multi-year partnership with NBC Sports Ventures, combining NBC’s broadcasting excellence with Nitro Circus’ exciting brand of action sports entertainment. NBC Sports will present three hours of Nitro World Games coverage airing in primetime on NBC in the United States. More details on how fans outside of the U.S. and Canada can watch Nitro World Games will be announced soon.