X Games to celebrate 30th anniversary in Salt Lake City

• More than 100 athletes will compete for over $1 million in prize money.
• The action sports competition is also holding events in Osaka, Japan, and Sacramento, California, this summer.

Why it matters: Summer events can draw as many as 100,000 people to a metro area, X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom said at a Thursday news briefing, joined by athletes and city and state leaders.

The intrigue: State Sen. Scott Sandall (R-Tremonton), who attended the press conference, wants the X Games to return and extend their one-year contract. Sandall chairs the Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District Board.

• Bloom said the X Games are interested in pursuing long-term partnerships with cities and hope to be in Salt Lake City for "many years to come."
• "We're having those conversations," he noted.

What's next: Tickets are set to go on sale next month.

• Starting next year, the X Games are planning to transition from an event model to a global team-based format, following in the footsteps of Formula One.

Catch up quick: The announcement comes months after Salt Lake City was selected as the host city for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games.