Televised Ski Events Suck In America— Global Survey Aims to Find Solution

Broader than specifics like timing or streaming service, factors like the complexity of a sport's scoring process, the duration of a season, pacing of events, predictability of outcomes, and uniqueness of event venues were surveyed for viewers satisfaction as it pertained to watching events.

Common themes throughout the survey factored in the possibilities of new technology such as VR viewing, user-chosen camera angles, and potentially immersive and interactive ways to experience a competition as it pertained to the actual viewing experience.

There were also several questions about what could increase likelihood of attendance or watching a World Cup event. Things like festival-style events, both in and out of season, and access to athletes were both suggested.

Perhaps the most interesting and common themes throughout the survey had to do with an increase in coverage of FIS content that was more story-based and surrounded individual athletes.

Without knowing the results of the survey, it seemed as though those in charge of the questions were hoping to gauge the validity of making content that highlights athletes stories, backgrounds, and lives in an effort to make them more relatable and draw the audience in further. There were also several questions that gauged an audience member's interest in learning about the interpersonal workings of athletes on rival teams, and how enticing a more dramatic and unpredictable event would be to watch. 

With the looming 2026 Olympics, it makes perfect sense that FIS would want to continue the development of winter sports and viewership in a way that will not just impact and increase Olympic viewership, but have a lasting impact on viewership following the games.

While those of us who write and read POWDER may sometimes forget it, skiing is still a niche sport that, like any other niche sport, needs to expand to survive. While something like swimming might not have the same viewership as the NFL, it's a far more widespread sport that only benefits further from the celebrity and sensationalization of someone like Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps.

While I can't speak to the funding aspect, there's no doubt that skiers with a similar amount of celebrity like Gus Kenworthy , Eileen Gu, and Lindsey Vonn have helped bring outside eyes to the sport.

Presumably, FIS hopes that by providing a less complex, more streamlined audience experience to viewers, while creating relatable characters that are easy to root for, will lead to skiing and snowboarding becoming more widespread, and ultimately develop the sports. 

This is all just my speculative takeaway from the survey. As someone pretty invested in skiing already, I don't need much more value behind watching skiing, just to watch skiing.

That being said, I am vastly curious to see the results of this survey play out over the 2025/26 season and during the Olympics. Especially as it pertains to the human aspect, and the almost reality-TV approach it seems FIS is toying with. Survivor but make it skiing? Twist my arm.