X Games Brings Energy, Technology to TV

Thirty-some years ago, made-to-TV sports programming (eventually referred to as "trashsports" by some) was rather mundane -- most notably a bunch of pro athletes competing outside their element against each other on ABC's "Superstars."

It was simple, schlocky and, at the time, appealing.

Although each of the then-big three networks trotted out their own version of that type of show, the "Superstars" was always the best, eventually including individual and team vs. team shows -- until the concept ran its course and athletes started earning enough money that they did not need to risk injury in such events. (Recent revivals of the show have been mostly an over-hyped disappointment.)

These days, though, made-for-TV sports bring energy, entertainment and, more importantly, technology to the screen. It's also appealing.

X Games 14 -- owned and operated by ESPN -- runs from Thursday to Sunday in Aspen, Colo. Last year the annual showcase of skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling averaged 942,000 homes for eight telecasts.

With ESPN in charge, even sports fans not interested in the X Games will find highlights on "SportsCenter" and across all of ESPN's platforms. While highlights might be more than enough for some viewers, the X Games do make for good TV.

Also, because of the energy and technology ESPN invests in the X Games, the annual action in the snow eventually benefits all sports fans. That's because all-access approaches and emerging technologies, such as small cameras or shots from cranes, that begin as experiments in venues such as the X Games often end up being implemented with coverage of the NFL, college football, Major League Baseball, the NBA and more.

This week, ESPN has nine production trucks and 63 cameras on site in Colorado. Notable gadgets include the "Huck Tower," a 30-foot high LED tower that will display the height of each jump in real time during events, and virtual graphics that track the flight of snowmobiles.

For the tower to work, competitors have small RF devices, about the size of a credit card, sewn into the bib they were during competition. It's not a stretch to imagine something similar having a use in other sports. Likewise, the virtual graphics are an technological cousin, of sorts, to familiar "First and 10" line that shows up on most football games.