Red alert for top nations
Controversial FIS boss is causing a major uproar in skiing
May 1, 2024, 11:59 a.m
The power struggle between the world association FIS and the major ski nations is reaching the next level. After the controversial boss Eliasch recently pushed through the centralization of international media rights without much warning, the national associations are now rebelling.
Johan Eliasch firmly believes in a winter wonderland. The controversial FIS president dreamed of “competitions that captivate audiences and inspire generations” when the World Ski Federation recently pushed through the centralization of international media rights without much warning. The problem: The “green light” that Eliasch and the FIS loudly announced makes the major ski nations see red.
“The FIS only announced that the traffic light now shows ‘green’. But that is of little use if the vehicle is at the start without tires,” said DSV board member Stefan Schwarzbach. This means: The most important associations such as the German Ski Association, but also Norway, Switzerland and Austria, do not want to take part – because they want to market their World Cups themselves as before.
“We were amazed, to say the least”
But Eliasch made a point last Friday. “We were, to say the least, astonished that the FIS gave the green light via a press release. Obviously it is an attempt to meet a contractually agreed deadline at the last minute and for better or for worse, which results from an agreement between Infront and the FIS,” Schwarzbach said. A year ago, the FIS announced for the first time that it would hand over the media rights to its partner from 2026.
A power struggle then broke out between the FIS and seven major ski nations. Recently there was a rapprochement and good discussions – until last Friday. “With this decision, Eliasch has de facto broken off the negotiations without us being informed about it,” said Schwarzbach.
Super League as a threatening backdrop
Now there is an ice age again. Was the action legal? Yes, said Eliasch, “the FIS owns the rights and is fully entitled to act with them as we wish.” The DSV wants to have this checked together with the other nations. “We will see whether further legal steps may be necessary, but we must have the relevant information,” said Schwarzbach.
The Central European and Scandinavian associations are by no means powerless; the group organizes 65 percent of the World Cup competitions – after a possible break with the FIS, independent of the world association in the future? In any case, a kind of Super League, i.e. a competitive series, continues to serve as a threatening backdrop. “That is not currently the subject of discussion,” said Schwarzbach, but “of course there are alternative scenarios that we will talk about if necessary. But of course this has to be done in collaboration with the other ski associations.”