X Games Aspen Shatters Growth Records Fueled by Youth Engagement

The historic 25th year in Aspen at Buttermilk welcomed more than 50,000 fans and reached 15.2 million viewers across ESPN and ABC—up 48% year over year—including a surge in the youth demographic

The 25th consecutive year of X Games at Buttermilk concluded as a landmark moment for action sports, pairing record-breaking athletic progression with a significant commercial surge. X Games Aspen 2026 Driven by Jeep welcomed more than 50,000 fans over three days, while attracting dozens of new brand partners.

The event’s commercial success was matched by its resonance with the next generation of fans. According to Nielsen Live+SD data, the broadcast delivered a 102% increase among the youth demographic (P2–17) versus 2025, marking the largest youth audience in the past five years. Overall, the event reached 15.2 million viewers across ESPN and ABC, up 48% year over year.

Winter Legends and the New Guard 
  • Scotty James Passes Shaun White and Chloe Kim: Australian powerhouse Scotty James became the most decorated X Games SuperPipe snowboarder of all-time, passing Shaun White and Chloe Kim‘s all-time mark of ten medals in the discipline, while capturing his legendary fifth consecutive X Games gold in the Monster Energy Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe Finals. James sealed the victory with a groundbreaking combination—a switch backside 1440 into a backside 1440—never before landed in competition.
  • Trick of the Future: Mac Forehand detonated the Stake Men’s Ski Big Air Finals, soaring to gold by stomping a switch triple cork 2160, a once-unthinkable trick that redefined the limits of competitive skiing.
  • All-Time Great: Mark McMorris etched his name deeper into X Games history, becoming the most decorated winter athlete ever with his 25th career medal in the Jeep Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals.
  • Teen Takeover: Just days after turning 19, Mia Brookes dominated the Jeep Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals, boosting her final-run score to 96.33 to earn her second X Games gold. Fellow 19-year-old Finley Melville Ives announced his arrival on the global stage, earning his first X Games medal with a massive switch double 1440 in his final run of the Monster Energy Men’s Ski SuperPipe Finals.
  • Next-Gen Breakthroughs: Sixteen-year-old Jessica Perlmutter struck gold in her X Games debut in Women’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck, while Japanese rookie Haku Shimasaki, also 16, claimed silver in the Monster Energy Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe Finals in his first-ever X Games start. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Indra Brown, the youngest competitor on this year’s X Games competition roster, secured silver in the Monster Energy Women’s Ski SuperPipe Finals—underscoring the sport’s rapidly rising youth movement.
Global Digital Momentum 

As the exclusive U.S. streaming partner, Roku saw explosive growth and an influx of new viewers. Remarkably, 91% of households streaming X Games Aspen 2026 on The Roku Channel were new to the event on that platform. Total consumption on Roku surged 149% YoY—outpacing the growth across all TV platforms—driven largely by a massive 233% YoY increase in female viewership.

The X Games social engine was firing on all cylinders, with content going viral generating more than 220 million video views across social platforms. Global search interest also surged 120% year over year, signaling unprecedented worldwide demand. Fans flooded XGames.com, driving double-digit traffic growth all weekend, and the momentum didn’t stop there—billions of global media impressions cemented X Games 2026 as a must-watch, must-talk-about cultural tentpole.

Looking Ahead: MoonPay X Games League (XGL) 

The momentum from Aspen serves as the definitive launchpad for the MoonPay X Games League (XGL), the world’s first year-round, team-based professional action sports league. The first seasonal milestone follows shortly with the Inaugural MoonPay XGL Summer Draft, taking place March 12, 2026, at Cosm Los Angeles streaming live (9:30 PM – 11:30 PM ET) on ESPN APP, X Games on YouTube, Roku Sports Channel, and Kick.com.

Tune In & Catch Up 

Aspen 2026 Driven by Jeep on ESPN, February 8: 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET.Watch X Games TV on Roku and Amazon or find X Games on YouTube.

For more information about X Games League, click HERE.