International TV agreements made the Ski World Cup competition transfers impossible.
During the 2021–22 World Cup, a total of 28 personal starts had to be competed in fourteen different locations, but the cancellations cut the program by more than a quarter.
The French and Slovenian races on the calendar in January were canceled due to the corona and the March cup final in Russia due to the country’s hostilities. A total of eight individual competitions were missed.
– There was a season left in the torso, especially the end of it. France’s cancellation in particular was a clear setback. The Olympic plans of all the countries had been loaded there after the Olympic trips. It was a key venue for the Olympics, an expert at Iltalehti opens Reijo Jylhä the sporting aspect of cancellations.
– It should not be the case when three weekends are canceled that no replacement events are held. Does the International Ski Federation (FIS) not have the means to do better? They should have the ability to organize replacement competitions, Jylhä continues.
In the hands of the Chinese
Complicated TV contracts prevented the cancellation of canceled contests. AOP
Why were no replacement events organized?
Former Executive Director of the Ski Association Mika Kulmala know the plotlet plot.
– It’s about TV and media rights, he sums up.
FIS has sold most of the TV rights to its events to the marketing company Infront. The Chinese-owned company, on the other hand, has traded the rights to various TV companies.
In addition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) owns the television rights to competitions in, inter alia, Switzerland and Austria.
– Even if one would like to organize a replacement event for a canceled World Cup with a national association, if the media rights holder does not reach or does not want to reach a new TV contract, it is a decisive factor, Kulmala, the current CEO of Santasport Lapland Sports College, explains.
He says that in the event of a cancellation, for example, Infront may offer only half of what was the deal for the original race on the TV contract for the replacement location.
– The big money comes from elsewhere, so cross-country skiing is easy to throw aside.
In downhill skiing and alpine skiing, where the weather causes annual competition shifts, it is less common to miss at least the entire World Cup weekend.
– That’s the economy of greatness. Money comes from these species. In alpine skiing, transfers are much easier when the tourist side offsets the costs in Central European destinations.
In Norway, Sjusjöen, Beitostölen and Trondheim, among others, were left out of the World Cup competitions this year as well.
Isn’t there even money in Norway to find a new host to replace the canceled Russian World Cup?
– I do not know the details of this season, but in general Norway, Sweden and Finland are upset with Infront when it signed an agreement with the Nent Group. Local TV companies may not want to be active in the direction of Infront because of the Nent agreement, Kulmala replies.
In the spring of 2019, Nent Group acquired the TV rights for the Nordic Ski World Cup and the World Championships in Norway, Sweden and Finland from 2021–22 with a five-year deal.
Viaplay is a streaming service owned by Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent Group). In 2020, Viaplay and Elisa Viihde Aitio merged into the Elisa Viihde Viaplay service in Finland. The consortium also includes pay-TV channels, among others.
Persnetto
The World Cup of Ski Jumping is in better shape than skiing. EPA / AOP
The FIS made a loss of financial and media visibility from three canceled World Cup weekends. There has been talk of a few hundred tons of persnet.
– The FIS makes its money at the World Cup and the Olympic Games, primarily the Alpine Games. There was definitely a loss when we missed the centralized package deal. But outside of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, the World Cup in cross-country skiing is really small in economic terms.
When the ski jumping World Cup competitions were canceled at Ruka in recent years due to the weather, a single event cost the Ski Association EUR 200,000–300,000.
– The French, Slovenian and Russian cross-country skiing operators may not have been able to do anything when the events were probably canceled early enough. The localities had not had time to travel, so no large expenses had been accrued. Of course, in that case, there was a loss if one of the organizers had budgeted a profit.
IBU model
The International Biathlon Federation (IBU) owns the TV rights for its sport. The rights have been resold by the International Ski Federation FIS. AOP
The International Biathlon Association (IBU) had drawn up detailed alternate seating plans for this season should any event have been canceled.
The IBU owns the TV rights to its own events, so a so-called local agreement with the organizer is enough.
– That’s what the FIS is aiming for. Many countries will have media and TV contracts in place until 2026, but will the FIS be able to bring this forward?
Kulmala pointed out years ago that cross-country skiing should have a back-up plan.
– Cross-country skiing has never had any contingency plans, although it definitely should be. The species lived like in a lord’s purse, when there was almost never too much frost and snow was usually made. There have been alternatives to hill jumping and even combined, Kulmala says.
One possible substitute host could be Rovaniemi. There is a functioning air bridge, sufficient accommodation capacity, high-quality trails and stable organizational shoulders of Ounasvaara Ski Club and Santasport.