X Games Expands With MoonPay Deal to Engage Younger, Crypto-Savvy Fans

MoonPay becomes core to X Games league strategy, reflecting crypto’s growing role in sports and youth-focused engagement.

X Games is reshaping its business as it looks to stay relevant with younger audiences. A new deal with crypto payments firm MoonPay sits at the center of that plan. Leaders from both companies say shared appeal among Gen Z and younger fans helped bring the partnership together. Agreement also ties directly to X Games’ shift toward a team-based league model.

X Games Targets Next-Gen Fans With MoonPay-Backed League

Earlier this year, X Games named MoonPay the title sponsor of its newly created MoonPay X Games League. The deal links a long-running action sports brand with a crypto company eager to reach a broad global audience.

According to X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom, age demographics played a major role in the partnership. Bloom told The Block that both brands connect with younger consumers, from middle school students to college-age fans.

He said that overlap made MoonPay a natural fit as X Games looks to build its next chapter. In his view, younger generations are already shaping culture, finance, blockchain, and crypto adoption.

Bloom also said X Games had at times been slow to change over its 30-year history. For that reason, he wants the brand to move faster and stay current. Shifting away from one-off contests and toward a league format is part of that effort. Thus, bringing in a crypto-native sponsor was another step in the same direction.

Under the new structure, X Games is moving toward a global, co-ed league with teams competing across a full season. Bloom has said that model will include salaries, benefits, and higher stakes for athletes. That marks a notable change from the brand’s traditional focus on individual event competition.

MoonPay’s Deal Signals Deeper Integration Into Sports Business Models

MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright described the partnership as a long-term investment tied to X Games’ business transition. He said the company sees value in backing the league as it takes shape, while also putting crypto in front of a worldwide sports audience. Financial terms were not fully disclosed, though Bloom said the agreement is worth eight figures.

Sports sponsorships are not new for crypto firms trying to attract users. Meanwhile, the X Games deal stands out because of its scale and role in the league’s identity. Rather than serving as a standard event sponsor, MoonPay now sits in the title of the league itself.

Broader changes at the firm have been underway since 2022, when ESPN sold its majority stake to MSP Sports Capital. Since then, the action sports brand has been moving toward a team-based business model aimed at long-term growth and stronger year-round engagement.