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- Outside to stream World Cup events across 2022/23 season
- Premium content and federation membership to be combined on Outside+
- US Ski & Snowboard also extends broadcast deal with NBC
US Ski & Snowboard has signed a streaming deal with digital outdoor activity platform Outside Interactive as part of plans to create a ‘snowsports hub’ comprising live events, lifestyle content and Web 3.0 products.
Outside will show all eight International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) alpine, freestyle, freeski and snowboard World Cup events due to be held in the US between November and February during the 2022/23 season.
The platform will also gain access to archive footage and the ability to create original content with US Ski & Snowboard’s athletes, coaches and other experts.
Additionally, the two parties will bundle the Outside+ proposition, which includes premium content, educational videos, mapping services, discounts and access to the NASTAR grassroots ski racing programme, with a membership to US Ski & Snowboard. There is also scope to expand the partnership to include competition registration, photography and sponsorship sales.
“We are delighted about this new partnership with Outside,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, US Ski & Snowboard chief executive. “It enables the passionate fans of skiing and snowboarding in the United States to watch our major domestic events and to combine the US Ski & Snowboard and Outside communities in an innovative multi-platform partnership.
“We have the most FIS World Cups on US soil in history this winter, and we are proud to showcase those incredible events with Outside to inspire new and seasoned ski and snowboard fans.
“Outside is more than a distribution partner with incredible channels and scale; what really attracted us was the opportunity to build a strategic alliance to allow our community to more deeply engage with our athletes, content and other new offerings.”
“With US Ski & Snowboard, we’re creating a one-stop resource where skiers and snowboarders will find motivation along with the world’s richest archive of gear, travel, and instructional content,” added Robin Thurston, chief executive of Outside.
US Ski & Snowboard has also inked a broadcast extension with NBC until 2025, with the US network having also agreed a deal for FIS events in Austria.
The FIS is keen to centralise the marketing of its World Cup events, a move which has led to some tension with member associations. Warner Bros Discovery has a five year pan-European deal for all FIS events, induing the World Championships.
