"Negatively surprised"

FIS push causes controversy in the ski circus

The ÖSV leadership with Roswitha Stadlober (left) is negatively surprised by FIS boss Johann Eliasch (right).

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The FIS is pushing ahead with plans for centralized marketing. The ÖSV is "surprised" by the unilateral move.

The central marketing of television rights - it is a prestige project of FIS President Johan Eliasch. The Swede brought it with him as a major election promise when he took office in 2021 - and he is now consistently pushing ahead with it. Last summer, the International Ski Federation had already reached an agreement with the company Infront, despite headwinds and unanswered questions, and signed a preliminary contract for eight years from 2026/27. This plan was confirmed on Friday in a secret vote by the FIS Committee - without informing the federations!

This has caused a row in the ski circus, with major nations such as Austria and Switzerland feeling offended. "We are all negatively surprised by the FIS's approach," explains ÖSV Secretary General Christian Scherer, who does not want to make a hasty judgment: "We still don't know enough about the details of this decision."

Big bang on the horizon
There should be clarity from Friday at the FIS spring meeting in Dubrovnik, the topic is at the top of the agenda - for everyone involved! In any case, Scherer assumes that "we A) can fulfill the current contracts with our partners as agreed". And that "we B) continue to own all rights to our events". If this is not the case, "legal steps will be considered", says Scherer. A big bang is in the offing, the last word has not yet been spoken ...