Aspen Snowmass and X Games recently announced the MoonPay X Games League will return to Buttermilk through the 2028-29 winter season. The three-year host agreement marks a significant new chapter in one of the longest-running and most enduring partnerships in action sports history — a relationship that has defined winter competition culture in Aspen, Colorado, since 2002.
“Aspen Snowmass is where the best in freeskiing and snowboarding come to compete at the highest levels every year,” John Rigney, Chief Business Development Officer at Aspen One, said in a press release. “We’ve proudly partnered with X Games for more than 25 years because we love their commitment to showcasing the energy and vibrancy of our sports on a global scale, while delivering an elevated experience for athletes and spectators alike. We can’t wait to do it again.”
Over the years, X Games Aspen has grown into more than a competition — it is a homecoming for athletes and fans, a centerpiece in community culture, and a celebration of freeskiing and snowboarding. This year marks a new chapter: the launch of the X Games League’s inaugural Summer and Winter seasons, in which regionally based teams of drafted athletes will compete for points and, ultimately, the season championship – bringing a fresh team format to an event that has shaped winter sports culture in Aspen for almost three decades. The inaugural XGL Winter season will launch in January 2027. “As the X Games League expands globally, Aspen remains our crown jewel, the iconic winter stop that athletes, fans, and partners circle on the calendar every year,” Jeremy Bloom, X Games CEO, said.
Snowboarder Mark McMorris, an XGL Winter founder athlete, has won 25 medals, the most in Winter X Games history and the third-most overall in X Games. In 2026, he won Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle for his 12th career gold and 10th in Aspen, where he has competed for 15 years. “Aspen is such a special place to compete at X Games each year,” McMorris said. “The fan energy at the base of the mountain is unmatched, and after 25 years of partnership, I’m excited for the first stop of X Games League to take place in Aspen!”
The three-year agreement underscores both organizations’ belief in the continued growth and global relevance of action sports and in Aspen Snowmass as the preeminent stage for snowsports’ most defining moments. Event dates and details of X Games Aspen 2027 at Buttermilk will be announced in the coming months.
On September 16, 2026, the X Games League will hold its inaugural Winter Draft at Cosm Los Angeles, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. local time. There, the world’s best skiers and snowboarders will be selected by four regionally based X Games clubs to compete in the X Games League’s first winter season. The event will stream on ESPN+, the ESPN App, Roku Sports Channel, and the X Games YouTube channel. “The Moon Pay X Games League Winter Draft marks the start of a new era for winter action sports, and we are all excited to see who is drafted to which Club,” X Games League Senior Vice President Annie Lokesh said. “Having your name called at Cosm Los Angeles will be a historic moment for every athlete who can be in that room and tuning in from around the world.”
In September of 2025, X Games announce full rebrand with a new logo, identity, and look—designed for the next era of sport. The X Games are rebellious at their core, global in their reach, and made to evolve as fast as the athletes who push it forward. The rebrand is just one piece of a sweeping vision that will define the next 30 years of action sports. At the heart of this transformation is the X Games League, the first-ever year-round, team-based league in action sports, which launches this summer.
