FIS and Infront enter historic FIS World Cup Centralised Media Rights Framework Agreement

Jul 24, 2023·Inside FIS

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and Infront have agreed terms for an exclusive agency agreement for the distribution of the international media rights to FIS World Cup events for all platforms starting in the 2026/27 season and covering eight seasons until and including 2033/34.

Highlights of the terms agreed:

Minimum compensation more than €100 million above current terms
Commission-based agency agreement with a minimum sales guarantee of more than €600 million
FIS in full control over the sales process
Infront to provide exclusive marketing implementation and international media operations services

Immediate rights and access to digital content, fundamentally changing FIS’ ability to maximise its social media footprint:

Free-of-charge provision of archive footage and highlights
Extensive rights to photography, behind-the-scenes coverage, course coverage, and the production of documentaries, television series, motion pictures, or similar productions
Free of charge OTT streaming for dark markets

In his campaign to lead FIS, Johan Eliasch made clear that centralisation would be a core part of his Presidency – a priority which is shared by the majority of the FIS members. Centralising media rights is front and centre in the FIS 5-year Strategic Plan and now, with this agreement, FIS takes a giant leap in its ambitions.

Infront has a strong and in-depth knowledge of the FIS World Cup media rights due to its role as media rights partner of the majority of National Ski and Snowboard Associations (NSAs) for more than 20 years. During this period, the international sports marketing company has enormously increased the footprint and visibility of the FIS World Cup across platforms and markets. Until and including the 2025/26 season, Infront will continue to implement the existing collective media rights distribution approach based on the agreements with NSAs.

I was elected as the president of FIS with a mandate for change. Wherever I see areas to improve our sport I will do so, even if it is not easy. Based on our statute changes in 2021 passed by 97.3% of our members, we have pressed on with the conviction that centralising our media rights management will be good for our athletes, our member federations, and for all around the world who are passionate about snow sports. This is a time of enormous opportunity. There are new technologies to be harnessed, new audiences to inspire, and new markets to explore. Since much of what we want and need to do depends on it, centralisation of our sport’s media rights management has been central to our strategy. The announcement we are making today with a new framework allowing for a centralised approach begins a new chapter of prosperity for the FIS family. It will allow for a better product and planning, a digital first approach, more money, investment, and opportunities for our athletes, our disciplines, and our national associations. It will enable us to promote our sport far more widely across all social media channels, reaching a new generation of snow sports fans. Finally, it provides us the opportunity to determine our own destiny. For our sport and a stronger FIS.– Johan Eliasch, FIS President

We have a well-established partnership with FIS and its member associations for more than two decades and have always believed in the strong potential of the FIS World Cup. This new approach for our collaboration with world skiing and snowboarding will allow Infront to fully support FIS’ initiative and the entire snow-sport family to continue to further grow the value of FIS World Cup media rights revenues based on our expertise and in-depth knowledge of the sports media industry. We trust that all stakeholders involved will benefit from the proposed future set-up and work together to increase attractiveness, exposure, and impact of the FIS World Cup globally.– Bruno Marty, Infront Senior Vice President ProSports