Roku snaps up X Games streaming rights

Roku got the exclusive US streaming rights to next year’s X Games Aspen and a “soon-to-be-announced” X Games event in the summer, the company announced on Wednesday. Both events will air on Roku’s free 24/7 sports channel as the service continues its push into live sports.

Though the X Games were founded by ESPN in the ‘90s, the sports network sold majority ownership to MSP Sports in 2022. Since then, the X Games have streamed on various platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, ESPN, ABC, and the VR app Xtadium.

But now, X Games Aspen will appear on the Roku Sports Channel, a newly launched hub for Roku’s live Sunday MLB games, Formula E races, and other sports-related content. This channel lives within the overarching Roku Channel that comes pre-installed on most Roku devices and is also available on the web, as well as an app on third-party smart TVs and mobile phones.

Additionally, Roku launched a free ad-supported streaming TV channel dedicated to the X Games, which will air “programming highlights, clips, interviews, archival content, and more” leading up to the event. X Games Aspen takes place from January 23rd to the 25th, with more details to come on an “additional” X Games coming this summer.

Roku is just one of many streaming platforms getting into sports, with Netflix airing live NFL games on Christmas Day, Max launching a live sports add-on, and Amazon Prime Video picking up streaming rights to NBA games. Even the tournament series Street League Skateboarding signed a deal with the right-wing streaming platform Rumble.