History of Monster Jam in Timeline

Monster Jam is a live motorsport event tour that began in 1992, operated by Feld Entertainment and sanctioned by the United States Hot Rod Association. Primarily held in North America with some international events, the main attractions are monster truck racing, two-wheel skills competitions, and freestyle competitions. While intermission entertainment varies, these core competitions remain central to the Monster Jam experience.

1992: Monster Jam Series Begins

In 1992, the Monster Jam series, a live motorsport event tour, began. It is operated by Feld Entertainment and sanctioned under the United States Hot Rod Association.

2000: Start of World Finals Era in Las Vegas

From 2000 to 2018, the Monster Jam competitive season began in January and ended in March, with the World Finals held annually in Las Vegas.

November 13, 2007: Release of 'Monster Jam' by Activision

On November 13, 2007, Activision released the video game 'Monster Jam'.

2007: CBS Sports Airings

From 2007 to 2012, Monster Jam season previews and World Finals recaps occasionally aired on CBS as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular.

October 28, 2008: Release of 'Monster Jam: Urban Assault'

On October 28, 2008, Activision released 'Monster Jam: Urban Assault', a sequel to the 'Monster Jam' video game.

November 9, 2010: Release of 'Monster Jam: Path of Destruction'

On November 9, 2010, 'Monster Jam: Path of Destruction' was released.

2012: CBS Sports Airings

From 2007 to 2012, Monster Jam season previews and World Finals recaps occasionally aired on CBS as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular.

2014: FS1 and FS2 Airings

From 2014 to 2018, FS1 and FS2 aired events from the Monster Jam series.

June 17, 2015: Release of 'Monster Jam Battlegrounds'

On June 17, 2015, 'Monster Jam Battlegrounds' was released as a download on Xbox Live and Steam.

2015: Debut of Arena and Stadium Tours

In 2015, Monster Jam debuted an arena tour and its first stadium tour, both featuring drivers competing for points and invitations to Monster Jam World Finals 16.

October 25, 2016: Release of 'Monster Jam: Crush It!'

On October 25, 2016, 'Monster Jam: Crush It!' was released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

2016: Split of Arena Series into East and West

In 2016, the arena series was split into east and west series, with the winner of each tour getting an invitation to Monster Jam World Finals 17.

October 31, 2017: Release of 'Monster Jam: Crush It!' on Nintendo Switch

On October 31, 2017, 'Monster Jam: Crush It!' was released on Nintendo Switch after previously being released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

2017: Introduction of Two-Wheel Skills Competition

In late 2017, the two-wheel skills competition was introduced to Monster Jam, where trucks perform moves on two wheels, and the winner is chosen via attendee voting on a score tracking website.

February 15, 2018: Announcement of World Finals Venue Rotation

On February 15, 2018, Monster Jam announced that the World Finals would rotate venues annually after being held at Sam Boyd Stadium for 19 years.

2018: End of World Finals Era in Las Vegas

From 2000 to 2018, the Monster Jam competitive season began in January and ended in March, with the World Finals held annually in Las Vegas.

2018: FS1 and FS2 Airings

From 2014 to 2018, FS1 and FS2 aired events from the Monster Jam series.

2018: End of Mattel's Hot Wheels Partnership

In 2018, Monster Jam's contract with Mattel's Hot Wheels brand ended. Hot Wheels had produced licensed toy versions of monster trucks and sponsored a truck in the series.

January 2019: Spin Master Becomes Toy Producer

Since January 2019, Spin Master has been producing Monster Jam toys, replacing Mattel's Hot Wheels brand.

June 25, 2019: Release of 'Monster Jam Steel Titans'

On June 25, 2019, 'Monster Jam Steel Titans' was released on PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

2019: Move to NBC Sports

Beginning in 2019, NBC Sports started airing Monster Jam on NBCSN.

2019: Removal of Free-Standing Crush Cars

In 2019, free-standing crush cars were officially removed from Monster Jam events.

2019: Posting of Previous Event Recaps on YouTube

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Monster Jam began posting hour-long recaps of previous events recorded in 2019 on their official YouTube channel.

2019: Season End Changes and World Finals Move to Orlando

Since 2019, the Monster Jam season begins in January but now ends in May with the World Finals held in Orlando.

January 8, 2020: Hall of Fame Announcement

On January 8, 2020, Monster Jam announced the establishment of a Hall of Fame to honor individuals with significant contributions to the sport.

January 11, 2020: Inaugural Hall of Fame Class Announced

On January 11, 2020, Dennis Anderson and Scott Douglass were announced as the inaugural class of the Monster Jam Hall of Fame at Raymond James Stadium.

2020: 30-Second Rule Introduced to Freestyle Competition

In 2020, Monster Jam introduced a rule for the freestyle competition, requiring a truck to complete 30 seconds of activity to qualify for a score. Failure to meet the 30-second requirement results in a score of 0. The freestyle winner is determined by attendees voting via a score tracking website.

2020: Posting of Previous Event Recaps on YouTube and Launch of Subscription Program

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Monster Jam began posting hour-long recaps of previous events recorded in 2019 and 2020 on their official YouTube channel. A subscription membership program was introduced for YouTube featuring videos of past events.

2020: Postponement of World Finals XXI

World Finals XXI, originally scheduled for May 2–3, 2020, at Camping World Stadium, was postponed to May 20-21, 2022, due to public health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 27, 2021: Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction

On February 27, 2021, Dennis Anderson and Scott Douglass were inducted into the Monster Jam Hall of Fame during halftime of a show at Camping World Stadium.

February 28, 2021: Announcement of 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees

On February 28, 2021, Gary Porter and Mike Wales were announced as the 2021 inductees for the Monster Jam Hall of Fame.

March 2, 2021: Release of 'Monster Jam Steel Titans 2'

On March 2, 2021, 'Monster Jam Steel Titans 2' was released for the same platforms as the first game, including PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

October 23, 2021: Porter and Wales Hall of Fame Induction

On October 23, 2021, Gary Porter and Mike Wales were inducted into the Monster Jam Hall of Fame during a show at NRG Stadium.

2021: Limited Stadium Tour

In 2021, Monster Jam offered only one tour, the Stadium Tour, with seven rounds across five venues, featuring twelve trucks.

2022: Rescheduled World Finals XXI

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, World Finals XXI, originally scheduled for May 2–3, 2020, was held on May 20-21, 2022 at Camping World Stadium after being postponed.

2022: Multiple Arena and Stadium Tours

In 2022, the Monster Jam calendar included three arena tours with 8 drivers each, and two stadium tours with 14 drivers each, all competing for a spot at Monster Jam World Finals XXI in Orlando.

February 15, 2023: Monster Jam Moves to MAVTV

On February 15, 2023, it was announced that Monster Jam would be moving to MAVTV with a multi-year deal.

July 1, 2023: World Finals XXII

World Finals XXII occurred on July 1, 2023, at Nissan Stadium.

April 2024: Live Streaming on YouTube

Since April 2024, Monster Jam events have been live-streamed on the Monster Jam YouTube channel.

May 2024: First Live-Streamed World Finals

In May 2024, the first live-streamed World Finals event took place on the Monster Jam YouTube channel.

May 18, 2024: World Finals XXIII

World Finals XXIII was held on May 18, 2024, at SoFi Stadium.

August 2024: Announcement of Fictionalized Film

In August 2024, at the D23 expo event, a fictionalized Monster Jam film, starring Dwayne Johnson and produced by Seven Bucks Productions, was announced by Walt Disney Pictures.