X Games partners MoonPay to launch global team league, citing Gen Z’s growing interest in crypto as key driver behind shift to youth-focused, digital-first sports model

X Games and MoonPay announced a three-year, category-exclusive partnership that makes MoonPay the title partner of the newly formed MoonPay X Games League (XGL), X Games’ first league title partnership and a shift from standalone contests to a year-round, team-based global circuit. The league is set to launch in 2026 with seasonal competition formats, beginning with a summer season and later adding a winter season, as X Games expands its action-sports model beyond one-off events into a broader franchise structure. The Block’s report frames the deal as part of a larger strategy to reach younger audiences, noting that X Games cited Gen Z’s growing familiarity with crypto as one reason the partnership fits a more youth-focused, digital-first sports model. MoonPay, a crypto payments company, is also being integrated into the league ecosystem through partner activations, while the broader XGL rollout has already included athlete signing bonuses in stablecoins and team sales, underscoring how crypto is being woven into the league’s commercial structure. The arrangement matters because it links a major sports brand with a prominent crypto payments firm at a time when live sports properties are experimenting with new revenue models, fan engagement formats, and digital-native sponsorships.

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