Getty Shaun White makes his return to the X Games this year.
The 2021 Winter X Games will kick off without spectators at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado this Friday.
Some of the action can be watched on the X Games’ YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok accounts, but the bigger events will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. If you don’t have cable, here’s how you can watch a live stream of this coverage online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets), ESPN, ESPN2 and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial right here:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch ABC, ESPN and ESPN2’s coverage of the 2021 Winter X Games live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. The ABC broadcasts can be watched for free without a cable log-in this way, but you’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch the ESPN and ESPN2 broadcasts. You can use your FuboTV credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets), ESPN, ESPN2 and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch ABC, ESPN and ESPN2’s coverage of the 2021 Winter X Games live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. The ABC broadcasts can be watched for free without a cable log-in this way, but you’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch the ESPN and ESPN2 broadcasts. You can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets), ESPN, ESPN2 and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch ABC, ESPN and ESPN2’s coverage of the 2021 Winter X Games live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. The ABC broadcasts can be watched for free without a cable log-in this way, but you’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch the ESPN or ESPN2 broadcasts. You can use your Vidgo credentials to do that.
Winter X Games 2021 Preview
There will be several things to look forward to in this year’s games, including the return of famed snowboarder Shaun White, who last competed at the Games in 2017. White will be competing against the likes of Taylor Gold, who won his first X Games gold medal in the same event last year. Toby Miller, who won a bronze in 2020, will also be someone to watch in the men’s competition.
On the women’s side of the snowboarding event, last year’s winner Jamie Anderson will be the favorite, with her primary competition being Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Kokomo Murase.
In addition to the Men’s and Women’s Ski and Snowboard competitions in the SuperPipe, Slopestyle and Big Air events, as well as the Men’s Knuckle Huck, there will also be the first North American snowboard and freeski events of the season.
X Games Vice President Tim Reed told the media this week that despite the unique aspects of putting the event on mid-pandemic, most athletes competing are just grateful there can be a Games at all.
“I’ve talked to a few athletes and they are all thrilled that this is actually happening, and we are excited to produce this for them,” Reed said, via Summit Daily. “Really, once they arrive on-site, it’s get to practice, get to the competitions, and ultimately there is no typical après stuff that we’ve had in the past. The comps are going to be there … that’s still the key.”
Many eyes will be on Alex Ferreira, who is from the Aspen area. Ferreira is looking to snag the gold medal in the men’s ski superpipe for the third straight year, and Reed singled him out as someone to watch. “I’m thrilled with the athlete lineup for this year, and I think it’s really going to make for some great competitions,” Reed added. “On the skiing side, it’s awesome to have Alex as the local story. That should be an awesome way to kick it off on Friday night.”
Things will look a bit different for the games this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be no fans or observers cheering the athletes on, which could provide a unique experience for many competing.
“I’m super grateful. I love it when the fans come,” Ferreira told the Aspen Daily News. “They’ve contributed to my success a great amount, no doubt about it. But I’m very excited to just focus on the skiing. For once in my life, it’s my busiest week of the year and I’m just going to ski and put my music in and not worry about anything,” he added.