SAN FRANCISCO — The evolution of action sports has officially entered a new commercial and structural era. In a landmark transaction finalized on August 4, 2026, the X Games organization announced the successful acquisition of its Bay Area and Lake Tahoe Winter Club franchise within the MoonPay X Games League (XGL). The franchise has been secured by a prominent, locally rooted investment group spearheaded by Bay Area entrepreneur and venture investor Jonathan Turner. Moving forward, the team will compete on the global stage under the official banner of X Games Club Golden State, commonly abbreviated as XC Golden State.
This high-profile acquisition represents a critical milestone for the pioneering league. As the sixth club sale completed by the organization to date, the transaction brings the newly established co-ed league considerably closer to finalizing its complete inaugural ownership roster ahead of its much-anticipated launch. Moelis & Company LLC managed the transaction, serving as the exclusive financial advisor to the X Games during the multi-month sales process.
A Coalition of Northern California Visionaries
XC Golden State is backed by a diverse and influential coalition of Northern California leaders, spanning technology entrepreneurs, institutional investors, digital content creators, and dedicated action sports enthusiasts. This group shares a unified ambition: to establish a premier, championship-caliber winter sports franchise that deeply reflects the cultural identity and athletic pedigree of Northern California.
Under Turner’s leadership, the ownership group intends to merge the region’s globally recognized reputation for technological innovation and entrepreneurial disruption with the rich mountain culture, heritage, and sporting history of Lake Tahoe. By bridging these two distinct geographic and cultural powerhouses, XC Golden State aims to set a new benchmark for team management, athlete support, and fan engagement within winter sports.
Jeremy Bloom, the Chief Executive Officer of X Games, emphasized the cultural and historical significance of placing a franchise in Northern California.
“Northern California has helped shape action sports for generations,” Bloom stated following the announcement. “From the mountains of Lake Tahoe to the innovation and creativity of the Bay Area, few regions have had a greater influence on the athletes, brands, and culture that define our industry today. We’re thrilled to welcome Jonathan and the entire Golden State ownership group as we continuing building the future of the X Games League.”
For his part, Jonathan Turner highlighted the immense potential of the team to unify local sports enthusiasts while pushing the boundaries of competitive skiing and snowboarding.
“We’re excited to partner with X Games; an iconic brand with unlimited global potential,” Turner remarked. “We aim to showcase the talent of the exceptional X Games athletes and bring the excitement and passion for action sports to fans around the world. The Bay Area and Lake Tahoe have been central to the development of action sports and it’s essential that the communities of Northern California have their own team to support. We represent those pushing the boundaries and creating sports history.”
The Epicenter of Winter Sports Heritage
The decision to anchor an XGL franchise in the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe region is rooted in decades of sporting history. For generations, Northern California has functioned as an indispensable cornerstone of North American and global winter sports culture. The region boasts some of the most challenging terrain, pioneering resorts, and legendary athletes in the history of skiing and snowboarding.
From the iconic peaks surrounding Lake Tahoe that birthed modern freestyle skiing and snowboarding progression to the metropolitan innovation hubs of San Francisco and Silicon Valley—where action sports brands, media production companies, and technology pioneers have long made their home—the region has continuously exported trends that define the global action sports landscape.
By tying a professional franchise directly to this geographic identity, the X Games League seeks to foster a localized sense of civic pride and fierce competitive loyalty. X Games leadership has confirmed that it will work in close coordination with the XC Golden State front office to ensure the team authentically mirrors the competitive spirit and ecological pride of Northern California.
Chronology of the X Games League Expansion
The sale of the Golden State franchise does not occur in a vacuum; rather, it is the latest development in an aggressive, multi-year strategic expansion executed by the X Games and its parent entities.
The structural transformation began to take shape following the acquisition of the X Games brand by MSP Sports Capital, a prominent global private equity firm specializing in sports ecosystems, teams, and leagues. Founded by veteran investor-operators Jeff Moorad and Jahm Najafi—whose extensive professional backgrounds span major ownership and operational stakes in the MLB, NBA, NFL, Formula 1, and elite European football clubs—MSP Sports Capital set out to modernize and institutionalize the independent, event-based action sports model.
In early 2026, the organization formally unveiled the MoonPay X Games League (XGL). Designed as the world’s first year-round, team-based, co-ed league in action sports, the XGL represents a fundamental departure from the traditional, standalone invitational contest model that defined the X Games for nearly three decades.
The league structure was engineered to encompass a total of eight professional Clubs divided evenly into four Winter Clubs and four Summer Clubs. These franchises blend geographic representation with world-class athletic talent, enabling continuous storytelling, regular-season standings, and sustained fan engagement across linear broadcast, digital streaming, and live event activations.
Crucially, the XGL model was designed to professionalize the economic realities of action sports athletes. In addition to traditional prize purses, the league introduces guaranteed base salaries, comprehensive benefits packages, and broader commercial revenue-sharing opportunities, establishing a sustainable career path for elite skiers, snowboarders, skateboarders, BMX riders, and Moto X competitors.
Immediate Next Steps: The Inaugural Winter Draft
With the ownership group now officially in place, XC Golden State faces a compressed and high-stakes timeline ahead of its competitive debut.
The XGL is scheduled to launch its inaugural Winter Season in early 2027, bringing a revolutionary team-based format to elite skiing and snowboarding. The logistical cornerstone of this upcoming season is the upcoming XGL Winter Draft, scheduled to take place on September 16, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
As a direct consequence of assembling their ownership group and securing the franchise rights, XC Golden State has earned the right to make the very first overall selection in the inaugural draft. This grants Turner’s management team and their incoming coaching staff the strategic advantage of securing the undisputed marquee superstar of international winter sports to anchor their roster.
League executives have indicated that additional announcements regarding remaining club sales, corporate sponsorships, broadcasting partnerships, and venue schedules will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months as the draft date approaches.
Broader Economic and Industry Implications
The successful closing of the sixth XGL club sale via Moelis & Company illustrates sustained institutional confidence in the commercial viability of structured action sports leagues. For decades, action sports suffered from a "boom-and-bust" sponsorship cycle tied strictly to episodic weekend events, leaving athletes vulnerable to inconsistent incomes and limiting the ability of media partners to build long-term narrative arcs.
By introducing city- and region-based franchises modeled after traditional stick-and-ball leagues, MSP Sports Capital and X Games leadership are attempting to capture localized fandom and institutional capital. The entry of sophisticated tech- and finance-backed investors like Jonathan Turner into the ownership ranks signals that action sports are increasingly viewed as mature, scalable assets capable of attracting venture-level attention and high-net-worth backing.
Furthermore, the integration of cryptocurrency and fintech platforms such as MoonPay as title league sponsors underscores a deliberate effort to court digitally native, younger demographics who consume sports through non-traditional media channels, short-form video, and immersive digital platforms.
As XC Golden State prepares to make history on September 16 at the Los Angeles draft, the broader sports industry will be watching closely to see whether the team-based action sports experiment can successfully convert counter-culture lifestyle sports into durable, mainstream geographical franchises.
Fans and prospective supporters can track the ongoing development of the franchise by visiting the official XC Golden State portal at xgames.com/xgl/xcgoldenstate or by following the team’s verified social media channels, including Instagram at @xgames_goldenstate.
About X Games
X Games is the leading action sports brand globally, showcasing the world’s best athletes across skateboarding, BMX, skiing, snowboarding, and Moto X. Through world-class competitions, innovative media, and immersive fan experiences, X Games reaches millions of fans annually across broadcast, streaming, digital, and live events worldwide. For more information, visit xgames.com.
About MoonPay X Games League (XGL)
Launched in 2026, the MoonPay X Games League (XGL) brings an exciting new extension to the iconic X Games brand as the world’s first year-round, team-based, co-ed league in action sports. The league features eight Clubs—four winter X Games Clubs and four summer X Games Clubs—that fuse geographic identity with global athletic talent.
About MSP Sports Capital
X Games is a portfolio company of MSP Sports Capital, a global private equity firm that invests in teams, leagues, and other businesses in the sports ecosystem. The firm pursues influential positions in mature sports companies and focuses on creating value and driving differentiated returns. Founded by Jeff Moorad and Jahm Najafi, MSP leverages decades of expertise across major global sports leagues.
