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X Games League Launches Team-Based Winter Season With Inaugural Draft

XGL is betting the club format and festival programming will grow audiences and help sustain athletes’ profiles between Olympic cycles.

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Freestyle Skiing - Women's Freeski Halfpipe Victory Ceremony - Livigno Snow Park, Livigno, Italy - February 22, 2026. Gold medallist Ailing Eileen Gu of China celebrates during the women's freeski halfpipe victory ceremony REUTERS/Marko Djurica/File Photo

Overview

  • The league holds its inaugural winter draft Wednesday in Los Angeles to allocate 40 athletes into four franchises, with managers selecting five men and five women per club.
  • XGL has announced a three-stop tour for January–April 2027 with events at Buttermilk in Aspen, WinSport in Calgary, and a championship weekend in Ruka, Finland.
  • Eileen Gu is widely expected to be the first overall pick, a selection the league says would anchor the new roster model though the pick remains unconfirmed until the draft concludes.
  • The season will feature four regional franchises—XC Golden State, XC New York, XC Park City, and XC Whistler—led by industry figures including Jonny Moseley and paired with nightly music headliners.
  • XGL frames the winter season as a complement to the Olympics after strong Summer League viewership, and the league will next focus on finalizing rosters, ticket sales, and resort operational plans for the three stops.