Quiksilver and The Madison Square Garden Company announced an agreement for MSG Networks and Fuse Networks to be the official U.S. telecast partners for the 2011 Quiksilver Pro New York. The Madison Square Garden Company recently launched MSG Action Sports, a division of MSG Sports that will produce a variety of action sports and lifestyle events, properties and television programming.
Quiksilver’s partnership with MSG Action Sports provides MSG Networks and Fuse with exclusive television distribution rights for the first-ever ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) East Coast World Title stop, music and action sports festival. The surf contest purse is an unprecedented $1 million.
MSG Media’s coverage of the 2011 Quiksilver Pro New York will take place throughout the entire two-week competition and festival at Quiksilver’s 20-acre beachfront site in Long Beach, New York from September 2-15, 2011. MSG Networks will telecast live and live-to-tape surfing action, including the quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds of the competition. Additional programming from the festival will air daily on both MSG Networks and Fuse during the September 2-15 competition window, and will also include live and live-to-tape daily segments showcasing the surf competition, BMX, skate and Motocross athletes and exhibitions, as well as contest highlights, athlete interviews, action sports exhibitions, daily concerts and cultural events all associated with the company’s three core brands, Quiksilver, Roxy and DC. Quiksilver professional snowboarder Todd Richards will be the lead on-camera host for MSG Networks and Fuse programming, with additional commentary from other surfers and action sports athletes. Fuse will also host an on-site installation in Long Beach throughout the event, and both MSG Networks and Fuse will promote the event and the telecasts.
“The Madison Square Garden Company is a world-class entertainment organization and we are confident that they are the perfect broadcast partner for The Quiksilver Pro New York,” says Bob McKnight, CEO of Quiksilver. “The newly launched MSG Action Sports group will elevate awareness for our industry’s athletes and events in New York City throughout the U.S., and their understanding of sports, music and television production will be a great asset to promoting our sports and lifestyle.”
In addition, Quiksilver will be a sponsor of MSG’s first action sports event, “Air In the Square,” a pro skateboarding and BMX competition set for Thursday, June 16 from 3:00- 5:00 p.m. in Times Square, New York, that will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net.
“Fuse’s young, active demographic is the perfect audience for The Quiksilver Pro New York, and its broad national distribution will further expand the scale of this unique event,” said Michael Bair, President, MSG Media. “Locally, MSG Media will add marketing muscle to enhance the event’s standing in the New York area. The entire effort is a perfect example of how The Madison Square Garden Company can combine assets like no one else. We are excited to partner with Quiksilver, and look forward to bringing the inaugural Quiksilver Pro New York to our viewers.”
