October 17, 2012 – Sweden’s TV4 Group has bought the TV rights for all the platforms of the world´s leading long-distance skiing championship, Swix Ski Classics. The rights are for the two following seasons; 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. The TV4 Group has acquired the TV rights to five of the six long-distance races in Swix Ski Classics by IEC in Sports. For TV4 this means an expansion of the range of winter sports.

– The long-distance races in Swix Ski Classics has developed very positively in recent years with a high increase in the number of amateur skiers, especially from Sweden, participating side by side with the world’s elite. We want to reflect this growing Swedish and international change with a highly expanded television exposure, says Hans Pekkari, Sports Director in the TV4 Group.

– We are very pleased to start a collaboration with TV4. I am convinced that the cooperation raises interest for Swix Ski Classics even further in Sweden, says David Nilsson, CEO Ski Classics AB.

The long-distance skiing races will be broadcasted live together with a parallel broadcast on TV4 and TV4 Sport Xtra. The last hour of the race will be broadcasted on TV4 and TV4 Sport Xtra.

Swix New Title Sponsor of Ski Classics Series
Swix Ski Classics is the long distance ski championships, consisting of six of the most prestigious ski events in the world: Jizerská Padesatká in Czech Republic, Marcialonga in Italy, König Ludwig Lauf in Germany, Vasaloppet in Sweden, Birkebeinerrennet in Norway and the Swix Ski Classics Final in Sweden (venue to be announces shortly), all 50 km or more and open for professional as well as amateur skiers.

The interest in long distance skiing is growing continuously and many of the races in Europe are fully booked just a few days after the registration begins. Swix Ski Classics is broadcasted on TV in several countries and many professional skiers have transferred from World Cup skiing to long distance races.

– The Swix Ski Classics is an impressive initiative from the key players in cross country skiing to build an exciting new platform for long distance cross country racing. This will grow the cross country skiing industry and we want to be a part of this, states Ulf Bjerknes, CEO of Swix Sport Group.

Ski Classics is very pleased to start this new cooperation with Swix, a market leading company with over 60 years of experience in segments such as ski wax, ski poles and clothing.

– Swix is prestigious and traditional, but yet innovative and creative at the same time. This agreement will for sure develop Ski Classics and I can hardly wait to get started with this season’s first Swix Ski Classics race Jizerská Padesatká in the Czech Republic, says David Nilsson, CEO of Ski Classics AB.

Swix Ski Classics is an exciting cooperation, which will include professional teams as well as amateur skiers. It is definitely a big opportunity for the partners to reach the final consumers and to develop an interest and commitment to long distance skiing.

– We have worked hard in order to find the best suitable title sponsor, and with Swix we have succeeded. Swix Ski Classics has also several other solutions for sponsors, one of them is in the title, “Swix Ski Classics powered by [company name]”, David Nilsson says.

Swix Ski Classics 2013:
– Event 1: Jizerská Padesatká – Czech Republic – January 13th, 2013
– Event 2: Marcialonga – Italy – January, 27th, 2013
– Event 3: König Ludwig Lauf – Germany – February 3rd, 2013
– Event 4: Vasaloppet – Sweden – March 3rd, 2013
– Event 5: Birkebeinerrennet – Norway – March 16th, 2013
– Event 6: Swix Ski Classics Final – Sweden – March 23rd, 2013