X Games Will Stay in LA For Five More Years; Governor Schwarzenegger Calls California ''Natural Home for This Exciting Event''

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 2, 2005--An eXtreme match has been made between the X Games and LA, as LA will host the premier action sports competition for the next five years. The X Games, which took place in LA in 2003 and 2004, will return through 2009, starting with X Games 11, scheduled for Aug. 4-7, 2005.

Events, which include BMX Freestyle and Skateboarding, will take place primarily at STAPLES Center in Downtown LA and The Home Depot Center in Carson, with Wakeboarding competitions taking place at the Long Beach Marine Stadium. This year's Games are scheduled for Aug. 4-7 and will be televised live on ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes and in select countries in the Pacific Rim, Middle East and Africa.

“The X Games will show off California's assets, whether it's through the sporting venues, the California landscape or the rich diversity of the people attending the events.”

"It is an honor that Los Angeles has been chosen to host the X Games for the next five years. California is an innovative and dynamic state, and is a natural home for this exciting event," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "This is great for California tourism since the popularity of extreme sports is booming, and it once again establishes California as a pioneer in the extreme sports industry."

The agreement between X Games producer ESPN Inc. and AEG, which owns and operates STAPLES and Home Depot Centers, is unprecedented. Until now, the Games moved to another city every two years.

"To the millions who enjoy seeing the X Games each year on TV and in person, it would be hard to imagine a better venue than LA," says Mark Liberman, President and CEO of LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau. "In fact, if there was no such place as LA, the X Games would have had to invent it. For those who love the X Games, LA is the perfect combination of climate and culture."

"Events like the X Games in LA help promote all of California," California Travel and Tourism Commission Executive Director Caroline Beteta said. "The X Games will show off California's assets, whether it's through the sporting venues, the California landscape or the rich diversity of the people attending the events."

Tickets for X Games 11 are available for purchase at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and the box offices at STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center and Team LA at Universal CityWalk.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs - in partnership with the state's travel industry - that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to the CTTC, travel and tourism expenditures total $82.5 billion annually in California, support jobs for nearly 900,000 Californians and generate $3.3 billion in state tax revenues. For more information about the CTTC and for a free California vacation packet, go to www.visitcalifornia.com or call 800-862-2543.

LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit agency dedicated to promoting Los Angeles as the premier destination for leisure travel, conventions and meetings. Though not part of city government, LA INC. is recognized as Los Angeles' official visitor promotion arm.