Los Angeles – The MoonPay X Games League announced that its inaugural winter draft will take place on Wednesday, marking the start of a new team‑based competition format for action sports. League chief executive Jeremy Bloom said the draft is designed to deepen ties with the Olympic movement and expand the league’s already strong audience base.
Top prospect: Eileen Gu
Three‑time Olympic gold‑medalist Eileen Gu, the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history with three golds and three silvers, is expected to be selected first overall. Gu, born in San Francisco and competing for China internationally, will become the marquee player for the league’s first winter season.
Summer league success sets stage
Bloom pointed to the success of the X Games Summer League, which featured city‑based teams from Los Angeles, New York, São Paulo and Tokyo. The summer series attracted 18.3 million U.S. television viewers, a 78 % increase over the previous year, and generated more than 200 million video views worldwide. New York captured the championship in a dramatic finale in New Orleans, earning a $500,000 prize after BMX rider Daniel Sandoval’s fourth‑place finish proved decisive.
Winter format and upcoming stops
The winter league will differ from the summer edition by staging events at ski resorts rather than urban venues. Bloom expressed confidence that the X Games’ three‑decade legacy will attract fans to the new format. The season will include stops in Aspen, Colorado; Calgary, Alberta; and Ruka, Finland, each paired with live‑music and festival programming.
Bloom emphasized that the league’s team structure distinguishes it from the Olympics, where athletes compete under national flags. “We see ourselves as a tremendous partner to the Olympics and national governing bodies,” he said, adding that the X Games can sustain athletes’ profiles between Olympic cycles.
Impact on youth culture and the Olympics
Since its launch in 1995, the X Games has helped bring action‑sports into the mainstream. Today, core disciplines such as skateboarding and BMX are Olympic events, with both slated for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Bloom noted that while the Olympics can turn athletes into global stars during a concentrated period, the X Games keep those athletes in the public eye throughout the four‑year cycle, building lasting commercial appeal.
In addition to Gu, the league will feature notable athletes such as snowboarder Mark McMorris and skier Alex Hall. Bloom believes that showcasing these stars in a team environment will create new “global icons” and drive higher ratings for both the X Games and the Olympic movement.
Looking ahead
The winter draft represents a significant step for the X Games as it expands beyond its traditional single‑event format. By aligning more closely with the Olympic calendar and emphasizing team competition, the league hopes to attract new fans, sponsors, and media partners, further cementing its role in shaping youth culture and action‑sports entertainment.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
