MoonPay Signs Eight-Figure Deal to Title Sponsor the New X Games League

Crypto payments firm MoonPay has signed an eight-figure deal to title sponsor the newly formed X Games League. Four teams across four cities launch this summer, with athletes receiving $100,000 signing bonuses paid in stablecoins.

Crypto payments company MoonPay has become the title sponsor of the X Games' new professional league, marking one of the largest crypto sponsorship deals in action sports.

The partnership creates the MoonPay X Games League (XGL), a year-round, team-based competition that replaces the brand's traditional standalone event format. X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom confirmed the deal is worth eight figures, though exact terms were not disclosed.

Four teams from four cities will compete in the league's first season this summer: Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, and São Paulo. The opening championship series will feature skateboarding, BMX, and Moto X. Athletes were selected through a draft held earlier this month.

Why MoonPay Chose X Games for Its Biggest Crypto Sponsorship

The deal was driven largely by audience overlap. X Games has built its following among younger demographics, and crypto adoption skews the same direction. Bloom said the shared audience made the partnership a natural fit.

MoonPay founder and CEO Ivan Soto-Wright framed the investment as a long-term play, timed to coincide with X Games' transformation from an event series into a structured league with teams, athlete salaries, and a full competitive season.

For MoonPay, the deal also functions as a distribution channel for its broader partner network. The agreement allows blockchain and crypto brands to appear on athlete patches during competition, giving MoonPay's corporate clients direct visibility across the league. Bloom described the structure as an "ecosystem play" rather than a standard logo placement.

Athletes Receive $100K Signing Bonuses in Stablecoins

Athletes selected in the league's inaugural draft received $100,000 signing bonuses paid in XO Cash, a USD-backed stablecoin managed by MoonPay. The bonuses were distributed through a partnership between MoonPay and Exodus Movement.

Paying athletes in stablecoins rather than fiat is still unusual in professional sports. It signals where MoonPay sees opportunity: normalising crypto-based compensation beyond the tech sector and into mainstream entertainment and athletics.

How the X Games Is Becoming a Professional League

The MoonPay deal sits within a larger restructuring of the X Games brand. ESPN sold its majority stake to MSP Sports Capital in 2022. MSP is also an investor in McLaren Racing, which has its own crypto partnerships.

Under Bloom's leadership, the X Games is shifting from a collection of one-off competitions into a professional league with team ownership, athlete contracts, and season-long narratives. The model mirrors what newer sports properties like pickleball and indoor golf leagues have done to attract investment and drive franchise valuations.

MoonPay's deal includes an option to buy into the league directly by acquiring teams at a later date. Bloom pointed to rising franchise valuations across emerging sports leagues as evidence that early investment in XGL could pay off.

Crypto Sports Sponsorships After the FTX Era

Crypto companies have been active in sports sponsorship for years. Exchange and wallet brands have appeared on Formula 1 cars, NBA jerseys, and football stadiums. But many of those deals were signed during the 2021-2022 bull market and several collapsed alongside the companies that funded them (FTX's naming rights deal with the Miami Heat arena being the most high-profile example).

The MoonPay-X Games deal is structured differently. It's tied to a league launch rather than a passive naming rights arrangement, and the eight-figure commitment suggests confidence in both the brand partnership and MoonPay's own financial position.