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Watched the two most recent episodes last night. Yeesh it is definitely very bro and about as by the numbers as you can get. The plot is they buy a new agency called Sports X that represents action sports. The next episode is about how the guy (Russell Brand) who runs the agency has spent over a million dollars making a skate video. While he sits on his ass in a fucking director's chair. They filmed those scenes at the Venice park.
I will probably watch it as I have no gigs right now and free HBO.
So, Russell Brand is playing a Richie Jackson Ty Evans hybrid??
This show was dumb, but I tolerated it somewhat bc it’s on when a lot of other TV isn’t and Denzel’s son is charismatic as fuck, but ending last season with the Rock saving the Raiders from moving from Oakland to this season trying cash in on extreme sports athletes as if anyone outside of Tony Hawk makes better money than the league minimum in any other professional sport...
It just annoys me the lack of effort to research skateboarding at all. The photos of skating on the Skate Kitchen poster were awful and the teaser blurb for Minding the Gap made some dumb quip about whether growing up is as hard as landing a 180 kickflip.
Money agent's make in sports is a bit complicated. Agent's commission on pro-sports salary is regulated by the players union. Where the huge money commissions come in is in endorsements which is less regulated. So, in theory if an extreme sport athlete got a national television commercial the agent could make 20% or so on that (although they would be making the same or close to on any other athlete doing it).
I have no idea what these guys who represents skaters are charging. I would think 15% to 20% on endorsement deals would be on the extreme side. Although, I could see agents only getting involved on the major deals.
I've thought I heard some of the surfers make some pretty big cash. Obviously, the only skateboarders who have significant national name recognition are Tony Hawk and Bam (which is primarily caused by jack ass). Well, and Jason Lee which has almsot nothing to do with skating.