Dubbed “the branding whisperer”, Neff’s addition reflects plans to reinvigorate the iconic sporting event into a true entertainment and culture powerhouse
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21, 2024 – Following a historic and successful event in Aspen last month, X Games today announced that entrepreneur Shaun Neff has officially joined the sports and entertainment brand’s ownership group as an investor and advisor to accelerate the brand’s expansive strategy.
In addition to the iconic winter and summer games each year, X Games plans to grow its event and content footprint to include more, and more inclusive, event qualifiers, as well as new pop-up events that will bring together sports, music and culture. Competitions will also have an increased focus on style and creativity, allowing both fans and athletes to express themselves more fully than in other competitions. X Games already announced its return to Ventura for Summer X Games June 28-30, dates for additional new events will be announced in the coming months.
“X Games is an incredible legacy brand that has been a part of my life as long as I can remember, but it has lost relevance and its connection to culture,” Neff said. “This isn’t about building a brand, the brand is already massive. It is about rebuilding the brand really intentionally, reconnecting with its youth and counterculture roots, and ultimately transcending sports into broader pop culture.”
Neff has also advised some of the biggest companies in the world including, Sony Electronics, Target and Walmart. He was also part owner of sunscreen brand Sun Bum, which was sold to SC Johnson in 2019, and recently joined the ownership group of Los Angeles Football Club known as LAFC. Neff’s brand incubator Beach House Group has been behind the success of celebrity brands including Moon Oral Care with Kendall Jenner and Odell Beckham Jr., Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross, BEIS by Shay Mitchell and incubated and sold Florence by Mills with Millie Bobby Brown.
As the founder of Neff Headwear, X Games’ newest investor is no stranger to the Action Sports industry. Neff founded Neff Headwear in 2002, as the first authentic headwear company designed specifically for extreme and action sports and quickly became a leader in youth culture pioneering celebrity and athlete capsule collections by collaborating with some of the most notable talent in the world including Scarlett Johansson, Snoop Dogg, DEADMAU5 , Steve Aoki, Kevin Durant and Wiz Khalifa.
“I’ve worked with Shaun at his other ventures and I’ve been blown away by the creativity and authenticity he brings to a team with his decades of marketing and branding expertise, as well as deep relationships in the entertainment and fashion industry. ” Jahm Najafi, Founder and Chairman, MSP Sports Capital, and Founder and CEO, The Najafi Companies said. “He has had incredible success standing up household names from nothing, and I can’t wait to see how he elevates the X Games brand that has already been a household name for nearly 30 years.”
MSP Sports Capital, which acquired a majority interest in X Games from ESPN Productions in 2022, has leaned on action sports, entertainment and now brand building leaders to set the tone for the company’s future.
X Games has already seen substantial viewership and engagement growth since the MSP Sports Capital acquisition. Most recently, X Games Aspen 2024 70% growth in digital and social streaming viewership versus the previous year, and a 20% increase in social engagement. Linear broadcast also saw an 8% increase in viewership for the January event.