Industry News
When Shaun White founded The Snow League in 2024, he wanted to give both fans and athletes a better way to enjoy high-level skiing and snowboarding. So far, the Olympic legend has delivered on that promise, with events throughout its first season broadcasting on globally recognized NBC and Peacock. As the league enters its second season, both the League and NBC look to continue to bring newfound visibility to pro skiing and snowboarding.
After a successful first season, The Snow League and NBC Sports have announced an expansion of their media rights agreement for the League’s Season Two. With the expansion, both The Snow League and NBC Sports hope to continue the success of its first season, which reached over 8.1 million viewers across five NBC broadcasts in the United States, by increasing the League’s live and broadcast coverage across NBC and Peacock.
“Following an incredible inaugural season, we’re excited to continue our partnership with NBC Sports as The Snow League enters its second season,” The Snow League CEO Omer Atesman said in a press release. “Our mission has always been to grow snowboarding and freeskiing by making the sport more accessible to fans everywhere.”
For fans of freestyle skiing and snowboarding, the media rights expansion makes watching the two easier and more accessible than ever before. The partnership increases live and broadcast coverage on NBC and Peacock at both marquee Season Two events in the United States: event one at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, and another in Park City, Utah. Additionally, NBC will broadcast an encore presentation of The Snow League World Challenge in Cardrona, New Zealand, in December. In total, live coverage on Peacock will grow to more than 50 hours.
To give fans even more opportunities to watch, the revamped agreement will also see The Snow League’s YouTube channel live-streaming all events throughout Season Two.
“With more coverage on NBC, expanded live streaming on Peacock, and now live simulcasts on YouTube, we’re creating more opportunities than ever for fans around the world to experience the incredible talent of our athletes,” Atesman said.
- Related: The Snow League Introduces Spin Cap to World Challenge Event to Combat “Spin to Win” Criticism
In the past, freestyle skiing and snowboarding fans had to jump through hoops just to watch their favorite athletes compete. Few events, like X Games and the Olympics, are broadcast on cable TV networks. Other big-time events, like International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cups, are notoriously difficult to stream, especially in the United States, since many events take place in Europe. At most, freestyle skiing and snowboarding make national television appearances once or twice per year.
But with The Snow League’s partnership with NBC Sports, things are slowly starting to change. Fans have more opportunities to watch the sport than ever, and new fans are starting to tune in as well. If anything, the League’s first season proved that when fans have the opportunity to watch high-level skiing and snowboarding, they do. Over 8.1 million people tuned into Snow League events last year. This year, the media rights expansion will bring even more competition to televisions across the country. With more hours and ways to watch The Snow League, it could potentially garner over 10 million viewers throughout the season.
“Season One proved the demand for elite halfpipe competition presented in a fresh, athlete-first format,” the League wrote in its press release. “As the league continues to expand globally in Season Two, the partnership with NBC Sports allows the league to reach broader audiences across multiple platforms while continuing to build The Snow League into the premier global platform for snowboarding and freeskiing.”
While The Snow League has a long way to go before it rivals the viewership of leagues like the NFL, its newly expanded partnership with NBC Sports marks a step towards getting its athletes the recognition they deserve. Skiers and snowboarders are some of the best athletes on the planet, and with The Snow League and its platform, they can continue to build loyal fan bases and attract new fans to the two sports.
Season Two of The Snow League kicks off with the World Challenge in Cardrona, New Zealand, on Sept. 19. Fans can tune in live on The Snow League’s YouTube channel or can watch it via the NBC encore presentation on Sunday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m. ET.
