The two-day festival sponsored by NantMedia and LA Times will combine
FIBA 3×3 together with esports competition, street-inspired dance
performances and family-friendly play zones
L.A. Street Festival to feature the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Masters as a
qualification pathway to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–L.A.
Street Festival, a new, annual urban event, will debut over two days
and nights this September in El Segundo, Calif. The festival will
feature a world-class 3×3 basketball tournament, esports competitions,
side contests, dunking, music, break dancing, gaming activations and
kids play zones to entertain the public both at the event and through
digital platforms and broadcast.
The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF)
announced last November that the Los Angeles organizing committee had
won the bid to host the inaugural edition of the World Urban Games.
Since then, GAISF and the L.A. organizing committee have had ongoing
discussions about the sports program composition and a long-term
multi-edition event hosting model. The event concept has evolved to
focus on 3×3 basketball, esports and a cultural festival – renamed the
L.A. Street Festival – to maximize youth engagement in the unique
Southern California market.
The competition will also include the FIBA World Tour event, alongside
esports competitions featuring star players.
Soon-Shiong, Chairman and CEO of NantWorks and Owner and Executive
Chairman of the Los Angeles Times, said that the L.A. Street Festival
will highlight his vision to create a collision between the worlds of
urban sports, esports and entertainment.
“We have formed a partnership with FIBA, the international basketball
federation, who governs the sport globally and have escalated 3×3’s
growth from the streets to the Olympics,” Soon-Shiong said. “Our street
festival will feature the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Masters, as a
qualification pathway to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, together with a
mix of top players in a multi-titled esports competition on center
court.”
“It’s an exciting time for 3×3, just one year before its Olympic debut,”
FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said. “2019 will be a record year
for the FIBA 3×3 World Tour with an all-time high 11 events over an
all-time long eight month season.
“We’re thrilled to make our first-ever appearance in Los Angeles. 3×3 is
a celebration of basketball and the urban culture, two things that L.A.
has in its DNA. We are convinced that we have found the right partner in
NantMedia and the L.A. Times.”
The organizing committee plans to stage the event near the Los Angeles
International Airport (LAX) in a central, compact location accessible by
public transportation and close to freeways. A purpose-built urban park
will be constructed in El Segundo for the event, to facilitate
engagement with the local communities. Subsequent editions will be
co-constructed with event partners. The spirit of both the competition
and the festival will reflect the best in youth-driven sports, urban
culture and community engagement. For more information, visit LAStreetfestival.com.
Contacts
Press Contact:
Jen Hodson
NANT
Jen@nantworks.com
Hillary Manning,
LA Times
hillary.manning@latimes.com