Action sports’ iconic X Games event organizer has announced cryptocurrency exchange platform MoonPay as the title sponsor of its new X Games League (XGL) concept.
The X Games announced the new league, now known as the MoonPay X Games, in September, which it hopes will deliver athletes more structure, visibility, and earning opportunities. It has a target launch date of summer 2026 (northern hemisphere) before expanding to a winter competition in 2027.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
This three-year partnership, which comes with category exclusivity for MoonPay across cryptocurrency, banking, and finance, will include a ‘pass-through model’ that will allow MoonPay’s other partner brands the ability to capitalize on the deal with their own sponsorship inventory for the event series.
That means that Moonpay will enable its roster of partners to activate around the XGL series, with the stated aim of entrenching the cryptocurrency ecosystem in the competition.
Speaking on the logic behind the deal, MoonPay chief executive and founder Ivan Soto-Wright commented: “We’re thinking long term. X Games is becoming a real league, and that’s the moment to invest big.
“The MoonPay X Games League puts athletes first and brings crypto to a global audience, powered by our partner ecosystem, in a bold, new way.”
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataBefore the launch of the MoonPay sponsorship, the final X Games standalone event, known for sponsorship reasons as X Games Aspen 2026 Driven by Jeep, returned last weekend to Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen for the 25th consecutive year from January 23 to 25, 2026.
Other X Games partners include fast-food chain Sonic, alcohol brands Beatbox Beverages, 805 Beer, and Cerveza Pacifico Clara, transport company Rivian, soft drinks brand Jarritos, toy company Tech Deck, headphone manufacturer Skullcandy, video gaming heavyweight Activision, and the US Army.
Monster Energy, which has long been a supporter of the X Games, became the first founding partner of the XGL series in 2025.
Most recently, X Games confirmed betting firm Stake as the exclusive online casino and sports betting partner of the XGL, which will be exclusively livestreamed on Stake’s Kick streaming platform.
The series will be comprised of four global events per year, as well as summer and winter competitor drafts.
