MUMBAI: IMG Media has agreed to a deal with Vans, the original action sports and youth lifestyle brand, to distribute the rights to its growing portfolio of events including leading skateboard and surfing competitions and lifestyle media content developed for Vans? offthewall.tv digital network depicting the worlds of action sports, music, art and youth culture.

The agreement will see IMG develop and enhance the international distribution of all Vans content globally across all media platforms, bringing top level action sports events to both new and existing fans.

Among the events are the world?s premier surf event series, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, beginning today in Haleiwa, Hawaii, which concludes the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour at the North Shore Billabong Pipe Masters event. Other top action sports events include the Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC), the longest-running surf contest in North America, as well as top flight skate competitions, the Vans Downtown Showdown and the Pro-tec Pool Party.

IMG will also work with Vans? slate of action sports features developed for the offthewall.tv digital network including the Vans Surf Team film Get-N Classic and Pass the Bucket, the acclaimed series of short films featuring the humanitarian efforts of renowned athletes, artists and musicians as well as Vans? exclusive skateboard focused shorts Love Letters to Skateboarding with skate icon Jeff Grosso and Adventures with Chris featuring gonzo skate journalist Chris Nieratko.

IMG Media SVP and Head of Business Development Adam Kelly said, "This is an exciting agreement for IMG as we look to invest in the long-term potential of action sports. Our partnership with Vans will increase the worldwide profile of their events as well as bringing them a new audience, and we are very much looking forward to working with them.?

Vans VP Marketing Doug Palladini said, "International growth continues to be integral to Vans? success as a brand and sharing the Vans lifestyle through our action sports events and feature content connects us with consumers in the most authentic way possible. Our partnership with IMG gives Vans? industry-leading action sports event line-up and our growing library of rich lifestyle content a broader global platform than ever before to reach our consumers worldwide."

MUMBAI: IMG Media has launched a new action sports channel, EDGEsport, for the Asian market aimed specifically at the active and athletic urban young adult.

The channel will feature top action from key sports disciplines such as surfing, snowboarding, BMX, mountain biking, skateboarding, Supercross, skiing, base jumping, freestyle motocross and wakeboarding. In addition, there will be films, documentaries, athletic profiles and biographies, lifestyle programming and magazine shows ? all in High Definition.

IMG Media MD Adam Kelly said, "We are investing in action sports as we see the long term potential in this area. Our belief is that with the right approach and development this content will deliver the audiences of tomorrow for sports channels and platforms around the world. EDGEsport will help deliver the exposure needed for our clients to develop their distribution initially in Asia and then in the rest of the world."

IMG Media is producing the programming and distributing the channel globally and has already secured deals in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia with others in different stages of negotiation. The channel is being broadcast across various Pay TV cable, satellite and IPTV platforms.

EDGEsport will have over 700 hours of content from launch and will show major events such as the World Snowboarding Championships, ASP World Surfing Tour, BMX Supercross World Cup Series and H2O racing.

Other top events will be added to the EDGEsport channel throughout the year and the programming also has the ability to be simulcast digitally online and to mobile.