ELLENTON, Fla. (AP) – From Madonna to Miley Cyrus, from Titanic to Transformers, American entertainment culture has been rolling all over the world for decades.
Now, another uniquely American phenomenon with roots in the rural U.S. is rumbling across international boundaries on giant wheels: monster trucks.
“We’re monster trucking the world,” said Kenneth Feld, CEO of Feld Entertainment, the company that owns the giant vehicles and the trademark Monster Jam events. “We’re building the business globally. It’s got a lot of traction.”
Monster Jam had its first international show in 2004, and by 2012, it was featured in one large, international tour. In 2013, the company offered two simultaneous international tours. In 2014, there were three.
About 55,000 people packed one stadium in Sydney in October. The trucks have visited everywhere from Abu Dhabi to Prague to Zurich.