The 25th consecutive year of X Games at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen delivered more than big tricks and gold medals. It delivered proof that action sports are not just surviving. They are accelerating.
More than 50,000 fans filled the venue across three days, while 15.2 million viewers tuned in across ESPN and ABC. That represents a 48 percent increase year after year. Even more significantly, youth viewership doubled. Nielsen Live and SD data showed a 102 percent surge among the P2 to 17 demographic compared to 2025, marking the largest youth audience for the winter event in five years.
Scotty James delivered one of the most historic performances of the weekend in the Monster Energy Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe Finals. With his fifth consecutive X Games gold in the discipline, he surpassed the tied all-time medal mark previously held by Shaun White and Chloe Kim. His winning run featured a switch backside 1440 into a backside 1440 combination that had never been landed in competition.
In ski big air, Mac Forehand stomped a switch triple cork 2160 to claim gold, pushing the progression of the sport into territory that once felt unreachable. Meanwhile, Mark McMorris secured his 25th career X Games medal in men’s snowboard slopestyle, solidifying his place as the most decorated winter athlete in X Games history.
The energy of Aspen 2026 was undeniably driven by the next generation. Just days after turning 19, Mia Brookes dropped a 96.33 in the Jeep Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals to earn her second X Games gold medal. 19-year-old Finley Melville Ives secured his first X Games medal in the Monster Energy Men’s Ski SuperPipe Finals with a massive switch double 1440.
16-year-old Jessica Perlmutter struck gold in her X Games debut in Women’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck. Japanese rookie Haku Shimasaki, also 16, earned silver in his first SuperPipe appearance. 15-year-old Indra Brown captured silver in Women’s Ski SuperPipe, becoming the youngest athlete on this year’s competition roster to reach the podium.
As the exclusive United States streaming partner, Roku reported that 91 percent of households streaming X Games Aspen 2026 on The Roku Channel were new viewers to the event on that platform. Total consumption on Roku increased 149 percent year over year, with female viewership rising 233 percent.
Across social platforms, X Games content generated more than 220 million video views. Global search interest increased 120 percent compared to last year, while traffic to XGames.com saw sustained growth throughout the weekend. The data reflects something fans on site could already feel. The culture is expanding.
The momentum in Aspen now transitions into the launch of the MoonPay X Games League, a year-round team-based professional action sports league. The inaugural MoonPay XGL Summer Draft takes place March 12, 2026, at Cosm Los Angeles, streaming live on the ESPN App, X Games YouTube channel, Roku Sports Channel, and Kick.
The league introduces a structured season format and team identities, expanding earning opportunities for athletes and deepening fan engagement across broadcast, streaming, and live events. It represents the most significant structural evolution for the brand since its inception in 1995.
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