The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina are still a few weeks away, but winter sports fans who can’t wait can whet their appetite with the 2026 Winter X Games. Coverage of the games begins on Friday, Jan. 23 at 12 noon ET on The Roku Channel, with primetime events also due to air on ABC and ESPN. You can watch day by day with The Roku Channel for free, and any primetime programming on ABC or ESPN with a subscription to Sling TV.

How to watch 2026 Winter X Games

• When: Starts Friday, Jan. 23 at 12 noon ET
• TV: ABC, ESPN, Roku Channel
• Stream: Watch with The Roku Channel and a subscription to Sling TV.
• From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.

Everything you need to know about 2026 Winter X Games

What is the TV schedule of the 2026 Winter X Games?

In the table below, you will find the TV schedule for the 2026 X Games for events on ABC and ESPN. To find a schedule of the X Games from start to finish, click here. The Roku Channel will offer daily coverage of the games on the X Games TV channel.

Why do we recommend watching 2026 Winter X Games on Roku Channel, Sling TV?

The Roku Channel will offer daily, free coverage of the 2026 Winter X Games via the X Games TV channel. It’s the only one of the several free streamers that will carry X Games coverage this winter.

Sling TV offers customers the opportunity to sign up to watch ESPN programming for as little as $5 per day, $10 for three days, or $15 per week. The Sling Pass program offers this limited-time access to Sling Orange, and while that package does not include ABC, viewers will be able to log into the ESPN app and watch any X Games content appearing on that channel live.

Viewers can also grab monthly access to the programming in the Sling Orange package for $46. Pay for as much X Games access as you want with Sling!

Save with Sling

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Sling TV

Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.

You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.

Save with Sling

$19.99+ / month

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Can you watch 2026 Winter X Games for free?

There are a few streaming services that carry both ABC and ESPN, which offer new viewers a free trial.

DIRECTV allows customers to watch its Genre or Signature packages with a five-day free trial if you elect to receive your channel plan through your own device, instead of getting a DIRECTV Gemini device to stream your plan. You can get ESPN in the MySports package starting at $70 per month if you prefer the Genre Pack route, or you can go with the ENTERTAINMENT package for $90 per month; a free trial comes with both under the conditions described above.

Hulu + Live TV comes with a three-day free trial, after which plans start at $90 per month if you want the Disney Bundle included in your subscription. ABC and ESPN are standard in Hulu + Live TV’s base plan.

Fubo carries ABC and ESPN in its base Pro plan as well. That starts at $49 per month, or you can get ESPN in the Fubo Sports service for $56 per month. Either way, you’ll get a free trial that can vary in length depending on factors like what time of month you sign up; Fubo offers this trial for between one and seven days.

Finally, YouTube TV comes with a free trial of between two days and up to three weeks, depending on promotional periods and other such variables. After the trial, its base package with ABC and ESPN costs $83 per month.

All X Games coverage on the X Games TV channel is available to stream for free on The Roku Channel.

What are all the services you can use to watch 2026 Winter X Games?

Coverage of the 2026 Winter X Games is available on DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Of these live TV streaming choices, Sling TV is our best recommendation, as we discussed above.

Also, as mentioned previously, The Roku Channel will offer daily coverage of the X Games on the X Games TV channel.

How to watch 2026 Winter X Games from anywhere

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2026 Winter X Games as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming service like Sling TV in order to stream the games with a VPN.

NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!

While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.

• Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
• Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
• Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available