The atmosphere inside the venue was charged with a mixture of nostalgia for the sport’s counter-culture roots and anticipation for its commercial future. More than 500 invited guests, including industry executives, legendary athletes, and corporate partners, gathered within Cosm’s immersive LED dome to witness the selection of 40 elite competitors. The draft, which was broadcast globally via the ESPN App, Roku Sports Channel, YouTube, and Amazon’s X Games TV FAST Channel, represents the centerpiece of the new MoonPay X Games League (XGL).
A New Era for Action Sports: The Draft Breakdown
The proceedings commenced with high stakes as the four inaugural X Games Clubs—representing New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and São Paulo—prepared to build their foundations. Each club was tasked with selecting a balanced roster of ten athletes, comprising five men and five women across the disciplines of skateboarding and BMX.
The first overall pick in league history went to XC New York. General Manager Steve Rodriguez, a legendary figure in the East Coast skating scene, utilized the top selection to draft 16-year-old Australian skateboarding sensation Chloe Covell. Covell’s rise in the street skating world has been meteoric, and her selection as the first overall pick underscores the league’s commitment to elevating the next generation of global talent.
Following New York’s lead, XC Los Angeles General Manager Sharalee “Haze” Hazen focused on local heritage and proven excellence by selecting Tom Schaar. A Southern California native and a 17-time X Games medalist, Schaar is widely recognized for his technical prowess and historical significance as the first skater to land a 1080.
The third selection saw XC Tokyo General Manager Harumi Suzuki secure Arisa Trew. The Australian phenom, an eight-time X Games gold medalist, has been a dominant force in park skating, recently setting records for being the first woman to land a 720 and a 900 in competition. To round out the first round, XC São Paulo General Manager Bob Burnquist—perhaps the most decorated athlete in X Games history—selected Brazilian prodigy Gui Khury. At just 15 years old, Khury already holds 15 X Games medals and represents the future of vertical and park skating in South America.
League Structure and Global Representation
The MoonPay X Games League is built upon a city-based franchise model, a significant departure from the individual-invite format that defined the X Games since its inception in 1995. By establishing permanent clubs in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and São Paulo, the league aims to tap into existing regional fanbases while creating a narrative-driven season that culminates in a world championship.
The draft pool was extensive, featuring more than 180 athletes who opted into the selection process. From this pool, 40 athletes representing eight different countries were chosen. The age range of the drafted athletes—spanning from 11 to 35 years old—highlights the unique longevity and early-onset peak performance characteristic of action sports.
The rosters include iconic names such as Nyjah Huston, Kevin Peraza, and Hannah Roberts, ensuring that the league possesses both the star power of established veterans and the excitement of emerging teenagers. The 50/50 gender split in the roster requirements is a cornerstone of the XGL’s identity, formalizing the X Games’ long-standing commitment to gender parity in competition and compensation.
Technological Innovation and the Cosm Experience
The choice of Cosm Los Angeles as the venue for the draft was intentional, reflecting the league’s focus on high-tech, immersive fan experiences. Cosm’s 87-foot diameter LED dome provided a "shared reality" environment, where cinematic production values met live sports data. The venue’s ability to wrap the audience in a 12K+ resolution display allowed fans to feel as though they were on the floor of the draft, a level of intimacy rarely achieved in traditional sports broadcasting.
This technological integration extended to the financial side of the league. In a first-of-its-kind activation for action sports, the league partner Exodus introduced crypto signing bonuses. Every athlete drafted into the XGL received a bonus delivered via the Exodus self-custody crypto wallet platform. This move aligns with the league’s title sponsorship by MoonPay and suggests a broader strategy to integrate Web3 technology into the athlete compensation model, providing competitors with decentralized financial tools and potentially new avenues for fan monetization.
Executive Vision and Athlete Reactions
Jeremy Bloom, a multi-sport athlete and key executive behind the league’s relaunch, characterized the night as a "defining moment" for the industry. According to Bloom, the transition to a league format is about more than just competition; it is about sustainability.
"For three decades, X Games has celebrated the world’s best athletes through iconic competitions," Bloom stated during the event. "Tonight, we’ve taken the next step—creating teams, building rivalries, and launching a league that will connect fans with these athletes year-round."
The athletes themselves expressed a mix of relief and excitement. Chloe Covell, visibly moved by her status as the historic first pick, noted the weight of the moment. "I’m at a loss for words," Covell said. "I was really nervous, but I’m super grateful. It definitely shows all of the hard work I put in. I’m looking forward to having fun with my team and doing my best."
The sentiment was echoed by veteran skaters who viewed the league as a way to formalize the sport’s professional standing. The shift to a team-based format is expected to provide athletes with better support systems, including coaching, travel logistics, and consistent media exposure outside of the traditional summer and winter event windows.
Strategic Implications and the 2026 Season Timeline
The launch of the XGL comes at a time when action sports are seeing a resurgence in mainstream interest, largely driven by the inclusion of skateboarding and BMX in the Olympic Games. By adopting a league structure, the X Games is positioning itself to capture the "off-season" interest of Olympic viewers while maintaining its unique brand identity that blends sport with youth culture, music, and lifestyle.
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League Summer Season is scheduled to follow a rigorous global calendar:
- June 26, 2026: The season officially kicks off in Sacramento, California. This opening event will serve as the first test of the team-based scoring system.
- July 4–5, 2026: The league moves to Chiba, Japan, for X Games Japan, highlighting the importance of the Asian market to the league’s growth strategy.
- July 24–26, 2026: The season culminates in the League Championship at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
In this new format, individual performances will contribute to a cumulative team score. The club with the highest total points at the end of the New Orleans finale will be crowned the first-ever MoonPay X Games League Champion. This points-based system is intended to reward consistency and team depth, rather than just the "all-or-nothing" approach often seen in individual trick-based contests.
Economic and Cultural Impact
The involvement of high-profile partners such as Monster Energy, Stake, 805 Beer, and Kraken Rum indicates strong commercial confidence in the XGL model. For sponsors, a year-round league offers more "touchpoints" with consumers compared to a single weekend event. The integration of city-based branding also opens the door for local sponsorships and regional merchandise opportunities, a revenue stream that was previously untapped in the action sports world.
Culturally, the draft event concluded with a celebration that reinforced the X Games’ roots in the entertainment industry. A rooftop performance at Cosm by Grammy-winning producer BNYX served as a reminder that while the league is becoming more professionalized, it remains deeply connected to the music and style that originally defined the "Extreme Games" in the 1990s.
As the athletes prepare for the June opener in Sacramento, the industry will be watching closely to see if the franchise model can successfully translate the individualistic spirit of skateboarding and BMX into a cohesive team sport. If the energy at Cosm Los Angeles is any indication, the MoonPay X Games League has successfully cleared its first major jump, setting the stage for a new chapter in professional sports history.
