X Games, Aspen Snowmass announce three-year deal to maintain winter contest at Buttermilk

When Jeremy Bloom stated “we are not going anywhere” in regard to X Games and Aspen this previous January, he apparently meant it. The comparatively new CEO of the motion sports activities franchise had voiced his want to maintain the winter contest at its longtime residence at Buttermilk Ski Area and on Wednesday the official announcement was made for its return.

“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,” Bloom stated through a information launch.

X Games and Aspen Snowmass introduced a brand new three-year host settlement that can preserve the competition at Buttermilk by the 2028-29 winter season. Aspen has hosted Winter X Games since 2002, making this coming winter’s occasion No. 26 in a row. Snow Summit Mountain Resort in California hosted the inaugural Winter X Games in 1997, lower than two years after the primary Summer X Games was held in Rhode Island.

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The brainchild of Disney-owned ESPN, the controlling stake of the X Games franchise was offered to MSP Sports Capital in 2022. Bloom, the previous Olympic moguls skier and University of Colorado soccer star, was named CEO in December 2024.

“Aspen Snowmass is where the best in freeskiing and snowboarding come to compete at the highest levels every year,” stated John Rigney, chief enterprise improvement officer at Aspen One, within the information launch. “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.”

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Exact dates for the 2027 contest at Buttermilk “will be announced in the coming months,” per the discharge. It’s sometimes held in late January, though with the launch of the MoonPay X Games League — a brand new team-based idea — and the need so as to add extra areas (it’s anticipated there will probably be three winter and three summer time XGL stops going ahead), dates might change.

The inaugural XGL winter season will launch in January 2027, with the primary winter draft — the place franchises will select their athletes — scheduled for Sept. 16 in Los Angeles.

“Aspen is such a special place to compete at X Games each year,” Canadian snowboard celebrity Mark McMorris stated within the information launch. An XGL founder athlete, McMorris’ 25 medals are essentially the most in Winter X Games historical past. “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 areas of the opposite winter stops haven’t been introduced. This summer time’s lineup consists of journeys to Sacramento (June 26-28); Chiba, Japan (July 4-5); and New Orleans (July 24-26).

And X Games isn’t the one competitors to lately announce its return to Aspen, as Shaun White’s Snow League will carry its second season to Buttermilk from Jan 7-9. While the 2026 Winter Olympics are behind the athletes, this coming season does embody March’s world championships in Austria. The full World Cup schedule has not but been introduced.