STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Three-time Olympic gold medalist and global snowboarding icon Shaun White and NBC Sports announced a multi-year media rights agreement in which NBC and Peacock will showcase The Snow League, the first professional winter sports league entirely dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing, launched by White earlier this year.
The inaugural season of the league will showcase the world’s top winter sports athletes going head-to-head in multiple halfpipe events at some of the most iconic resort locations in the world. The dramatic competition, featuring the top female and male athletes in snowboarding and freeskiing, will be bolstered by the top-tier production and compelling storytelling synonymous with NBC Sports.
"I'm so excited about this partnership for The Snow League with NBC Sports,” said White. “This collaboration will showcase the incredible talent in snowboarding and freeskiing and bring the thrill of the competition to a whole new level. We hope to inspire the next generation of athletes, and there is no better platform to help showcase our athletes and their stories than NBC Sports."
“Shaun White is a true icon and his vision for The Snow League has us excited for this next evolution in our long-time partnership,” said Joe Gesue, Senior Vice President, NBC Olympics & Paralympics Programming & Executive Editor. “This innovative new venture will showcase top snowboarding and freeskiing athletes at iconic venues around the world, giving world-class competitors a much-deserved spotlight and help us all build momentum heading into what promises to be a magical 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.”
NBC and Peacock will present The Snow League’s inaugural event from Aspen, Colo., on March 7-8, 2025. NBC Sports will present the four events of the league’s first season live on Peacock, with encore presentations on the NBC broadcast network. Broadcast times and location will be announced closer to the start of competition.
Each event of the series will take place in a different top-tier location ranging across multiple continents, with additional venues to be announced at a later date.
Omer Atesmen, CEO of The Snow League, adds "We are thrilled to partner with NBC Sports, a network synonymous with delivering world-class sports programming to millions of viewers nationwide. This agreement marks a major milestone in our mission to establish a new platform for elite winter sports competition. NBC Sports' unmatched expertise in sports broadcasting and storytelling is a perfect match to showcase The Snow League’s innovative format of dramatic head-to-head contests, set at iconic locations across the globe. "
David Sternberg and Dan Granik of Range Sports served as the media advisors to The Snow League for media rights negotiations.
The Snow League will feature innovative competition formats designed to build season-long storylines, including head-to-head matchups, with athletes accumulating points at each event to be tallied together at the end of the season to crown The Snow League World Champion. The total prize purse for The Snow League’s first season will exceed $1.5 million.
ABOUT SHAUN WHITE
Shaun White is an American athlete who is regarded as one of the greatest action sports athletes of all time. A five-time Olympian, White won gold medals in the half-pipe event in 2006, 2010, and 2018. He is one of the most decorated athletes in X Games history, becoming the first athlete to compete in both the Winter and Summer Games. He has won 15 gold medals, an all-time X Games record. White announced his retirement from the sport of snowboarding prior to competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, his fifth and final Olympics.
Born in San Diego, California, Shaun turned professional at the age of 13. White has been named among Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s 100 Most Powerful and Marketable Athletes, Forbes’ Most Valuable Sports Brands and 30 Under 30, among others. He has won 11 ESPY Awards throughout his career. Born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect for which he required two open-heart operations before the age of one, White is an advocate for children battling illness and is an active supporter of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Center, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
ABOUT THE SNOW LEAGUE
Launched in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league entirely dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medal winning snowboarder and entrepreneur Shaun White, the league’s first season will feature a four-event global competition format, with the inaugural competition kicking off at Aspen Snowmass’ Buttermilk Mountain in March 2025, and continuing at top winter resorts worldwide. The first season will feature men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe competitions at all four events. Freeskiing will be introduced during the league’s second event in late 2025, and will be included in all future events. Athletes will compete to accumulate points based on their results from each event to be tallied together at the end of the season to crown The Snow League World Champion.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS
NBC Sports connects people to the moments that matter most and serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports presents premier content across linear platforms NBC, USA Network, GOLF Channel, as well numerous digital sites, including Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, Big Ten Conference, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, Notre Dame, The R&A, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, and many more. It also consists of NBC Sports Next, a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to all NBCUniversal digital applications in sports and technology within its three groups: Youth & Recreational Sports, Golf, and Betting & Gaming.
ABOUT SPORTS ON PEACOCK
Peacock’s expansive programming features live coverage including Big Ten Football and Basketball, Sunday Night Football, Notre Dame Football, Big East men’s basketball, Olympic and Paralympic Games, Premier League, NASCAR, NBA and WNBA coming in 2025-26, and much more. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel.
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