LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas is has long been known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, and recently we've seen more and more sports get added to that lineup. Now, we are about to see a combination of both hit the valley more often, thanks in part to UFC president and Las Vegas local Dana White.
White, who along with Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta purchased Thrill One Sports and Entertainment in 2022, is now moving the network's headquarters to Las Vegas — bringing Nitro Circus, Nitrocross, Superjacket Productions and Street League Skateboarding with it.
"I think that's amazing!" local skateboarder Frank Powers said when I told him about Thrill One's move to the valley. "I went to Nitro Circus like one time as a kid. All the rest, I've been seeing it on YouTube. Nitro Circus is like, the coolest thing ever."
You might recognize some of the stars of Street League Skateboarding from their recent podium sweep at this year's Olympics in Paris. Yuto Horigome, Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston all medaled — taking home gold, silver and bronze, respectively.
"I was just surprised that it made it to the Olympics," Joseph Rodriguez, another local skateboarder, told me. "I thought it was going to stop at the X Games. The Olympics is something really big, and I'm happy to see it today."
A few weeks ago, I got to talk to White about why he decided to make the investment in Thrill One.
"This is kind of what me and the Fertitta brothers do," White said. "We take niche sports that nobody believes in and we turn them into home runs. ...When you think about live events and sports, it's about destinations, and there's no better destination than Vegas."
Thrill One's CEO, Matt Cohn, said it's a move that can change everything for the elite athletes who compete in these lesser-known sports.
"It's the ultimate game-changer," Cohn said. "Them having the belief in us and in these properties...the pressure is on, but the ambitions are high."
Now that sports like Street League Skateboarding call Las Vegas home, riders like Rodriguez think local skate parks could get much busier.
"The fact that Dana White brought a league out here is pretty good," Rodriguez said. "Hopefully it inspires more kids — young men, young women — to actually come outside and enjoy the sport as much as we do."
