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≡ FIS TELEVISION AUDIENCES ≡
Fascinating studies from the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS), profiling each of its major disciplines and their broadcast performance for the 2024-25 season, with comparison to the 2023-24 season.
Compiled by Nielsen Sports, a primary measurement was the total broadcast audience for the six major disciplines, with the U.S. audience also noted:
Alpine Skiing:
● 2.266 billion total viewers (+1% over 2024: 2.251 billion)
● 365 million live audience; 1.901 billion non-live
● 26.86 million cumulative U.S. audience
Cross Country Skiing:
● 650 million total viewers (–15% over 2024: 767 million)
● 119 million live audience; 531 million non-live
● 0.07 million cumulative U.S. audience
Freestyle Skiing:
● 452 million total viewers (–7% over 2024: 486 million)
● 36 million live audience; 417 million non-live
● 2.36 million cumulative U.S. audience
Nordic Combined:
● 379 million total viewers (+14% over 2024: 332 million)
● 85 million live audience; 294 million non-live
● Less than 10,000 cumulative U.S. audience
Ski Jumping:
● 1.549 billion total viewers (–16% over 2024: 1.845 billion)
● 398 million live audience; 1.150 billion non-live
● 0.05 million cumulative U.S. audience
Snowboard:
● 528 million total viewers (+18% over 2024: 446 million)
● 43 million live audience; 485 million non-live
● 1.03 million cumulative U.S. audience
The cumulative total for the season was 5.824 billion broadcast viewers, but most of “non-live” programs, meaning either delayed full shows or highlights:
● 18.0% ~ 1.046 billion live
● 82.0% ~ 4.778 billion “non-live”
There’s no doubt that alpine skiing is the top attraction for FIS, but how many would guess that ski jumping is no. 2 by far, with the big audiences in central and eastern Europe, and Japan.
FIS President Johann Eliasch (GBR) has expended enormous energy to centralize FIS as the rights-holder for World Cup broadcasts, and from the current base will come the sales for the future, with significant increases expected.
Where are the audiences now compared with the recent past? Nielsen has this data included in its report, although the numbers are scrambled somewhat by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020-22. Comparing audiences for 2020-21, when the pandemic was at its height, to 2024-25:
Alpine Skiing:
● 2020-21: 3.265 billion (69 races)
● 2024-25: 2.266 billion (73 races) ~ down 30.6%
Cross Country Skiing:
● 2020-21: 900 million (48 races)
● 2024-25: 650 million (67 races) ~ down 27.8%
Freestyle Skiing:
● 2020-21: 399 million (54 events)
● 2024-25: 452 million (112 events) ~ up 13.3%
Nordic Combined:
● 2020-21: 623 million (18 events)
● 2024-25: 379 million (33 events) ~ down 39.2%
Ski Jumping:
● 2020-21: 2.581 billion (45 events)
● 2024-25: 1.549 billion (62 events) ~ down 40.0%
Snowboard:
● 2020-21: 305 million (26 events)
● 2024-25: 528 million (85 events) ~ up 73.1%
This demonstrates where Eliasch believes there is more value to be obtained for FIS events; these figures do not include social-media channels, where FIS is highly active.
Skiing – of all kinds – is big, no doubt about it. But as television cedes ground to online channels, FIS is being challenged to find its audiences everywhere, especially since only 18.0% of viewing of its events was live.
And if FIS is being challenged, so is everyone else in the Olympic Movement.
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