NBC Sports Acquires Rights to Shaun White’s The Snow League

NBC Spots is getting into business with snowboarding legend Shaun White.

The media company has picked up the rights to The Snow League, a new winter sports league founded by the three-time Olympic gold medalist. The Snow League is focused on snowboarding and freeskiing halfpipe competitions, which will be held at resorts around the world. The inaugural competition will take place in Aspen in March.

The matchups will stream live on Peacock, with encore presentations set to air on the NBC broadcast network.

NBC, of course, is the home of the Olympics in the U.S., and halfpipe snowboarding is among the most popular events. White was a stalwart fixture on NBC’s coverage of the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 games, and has also worked for NBC as a contributor to its Summer Olympics coverage.

“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 VP of 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.”

“I’m so excited about this partnership for The Snow League with NBC Sports,” added 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.”

The deal is the latest example of an entirely new sports league backed by a star athlete securing a significant media rights deal. TGL, co-founded by Tiger Words and Rory McIlroy, will debut on ESPN early next year, while WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier co-founded the women’s basketball league Unrivaled, which inked a deal with Turner Sports.