The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has taken a major step toward consolidating the global media landscape of snow sports, announcing that Infront Sports & Media will act as the exclusive international distributor of its World Championship rights through 2029.
The agreement, unveiled in September, covers eight flagship competitions across alpine, Nordic, snowboard, freestyle & freeski, and ski flying disciplines. It excludes Switzerland (where rights remain with SRF) and Austria for the 2027 Snowboard, Freestyle & Freeski World Championships (with ORF), due to existing broadcast arrangements.
Centralized Rights: A First for FIS
For the first time, broadcasters will be able to acquire both FIS World Championships and FIS World Cup rights in a single, centralized package. Infront already secured international distribution rights to FIS World Cup events from 2026–27 through 2033–34, and this new alignment adds the World Championships to the portfolio.
The competitions under the new deal include:
- FIS Alpine World Ski Championships (2027, 2029)
- FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (2027, 2029)
- FIS Snowboard, Freestyle & Freeski World Championships (2027, 2029)
- FIS Ski Flying World Championships (2026, 2028)
Leadership Perspectives
FIS President Johan Eliasch hailed the agreement as a “transformative step” for skiing and snowboarding:
“By consolidating the World Cup and World Championships rights, we are building a stronger, more coherent, and more valuable proposition for our broadcast partners. It will maximize revenues, extend global reach, and ensure reinvestment in athletes, events, and the sustainable growth of the sport.”
From Infront’s side, Bruno Mary, SVP of ProSports, highlighted the potential for a unified commercial model:
“Our joint focus is not only on maximizing exposure but also on creating a lasting framework that helps FIS reinvest in the future of skiing and snowboarding.”
The Road to Centralization
This announcement follows the resolution of a long-running dispute with Ski Austria, which had resisted giving up independent media rights deals with Eurovision Sport and IMG. Austria was the final holdout after all other member associations signed onto FIS centralization in late 2023.
Under the compromise, FIS will take over the sale of international broadcast rights for Austrian World Cup events starting from the 2027–28 season, with Infront managing global distribution.
The centralization push was a cornerstone of Eliasch’s successful re-election campaign in 2022, positioning FIS to create a more streamlined and commercially competitive offering across its premier events.
Why This Matters?
The FIS–Infront agreement reflects broader trends in global sports governance:
- Bundled Rights = Bigger Value: Centralization allows federations to package marquee events, creating consistency for broadcasters and stronger leverage in negotiations.
- Revenue Maximization: Consolidated deals generate higher guaranteed revenues, enabling reinvestment into athlete development, grassroots initiatives, and sustainability projects.
- Global Reach: Snow sports can now tap into emerging markets with a unified broadcast product, expanding visibility beyond traditional European powerhouses.
- Commercial Stability: For sponsors and media partners, a clear, transparent rights model reduces fragmentation and increases predictability.
365247 Insight
This deal illustrates a playbook for niche and seasonal sports properties seeking to enhance their global relevance:
- Centralize Before You Scale: Fragmented rights may maximize short-term returns, but centralization unlocks long-term commercial power.
- Leverage Flagship + Regular Seasons Together: Bundling marquee events with season-long properties creates must-buy packages for broadcasters.
- Reinvest in Growth Drivers: Centralization must feed back into athlete pipelines, sustainability initiatives, and digital fan engagement.
- Negotiate Beyond Broadcast: Explore cross-platform deals (OTT, digital rights, social media distribution) as part of the rights portfolio.
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IMAGE: FIS
