SPORTFIVE has assumed exclusive responsibility for the French Ski Federation’s entire commercial rights portfolio, a move that signals a major strategic overhaul in how French winter sports plan to position themselves commercially over the next decade.
The German-headquartered agency now holds a full mandate across sponsorship development, marketing rights management, and long-term brand strategy for all major FFS disciplines.
The agreement spans alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, biathlon, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding, placing SPORTFIVE at the center of how the federation packages its athletes, events, and assets. The agency will drive partner acquisition, digital and activation planning, and the wider optimisation of commercial inventory at a moment when winter sports are fighting harder than ever for sponsorship relevance.
Inside the federation, the shift is being framed as a move toward fully professionalised, globally aligned commercial operations. President Fabien Saguez has been clear that French skiing needs stronger market positioning, deeper commercial capabilities, and a more modern partnership proposition. SPORTFIVE’s track record across winter sports and Olympic-cycle properties gives the federation a partner with scale, network strength, and proven execution.
Xavier Oddone, Managing Director of SPORTFIVE France, said, “By joining forces with the French Ski Federation, we aim to inject new momentum into winter sports in France. We are committed to promoting these disciplines and taking French skiing to new heights together.”
Fabien Saguez, President of the FFS, added, “This partnership allows the Federation to further strengthen its marketing offering by relying on the commercial expertise and influence of the agency.”
The timing aligns with a competitive surge from French athletes. Alexis Pinturault, Cyprien Sarrazin, and Tessa Worley continue to deliver podium performances on the alpine circuit. The nation’s Nordic and biathlon teams remain among the most consistently successful in the world, while France’s freestyle and snowboard athletes anchor the sport’s appeal to younger audiences. SPORTFIVE will be expected to translate these performance narratives into stronger commercial storytelling ahead of the 2027 Alpine World Championships in Crans Montana and in the run-up to the next Olympic cycle.
On the partner front, the FFS already works with brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Eurosport, Somfy, Caisse d’Epargne, and Odlo across equipment, media, financial services, and team apparel. The SPORTFIVE mandate now expands that landscape, opening pathways for tourism groups, sustainability focused brands, outdoor lifestyle companies, and mobility partners that fit the sport’s long-term positioning and environmental realities.
The addition of the French Ski Federation strengthens SPORTFIVE’s broader global rights ecosystem, which includes relationships with FIH, Real Madrid, the German Handball Federation, the Esports World Cup, Swimming Australia, Jürgen Klopp, IWF, CONCACAF, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the ASEAN Football Federation, Lyon, the Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. This gives French skiing access to a more diverse commercial marketplace and deeper international brand connections.
For winter sport in France, the success of this partnership will be judged on one outcome: whether it can convert a well structured rights strategy into sustained commercial growth, richer fan engagement, and greater athlete visibility in a sport that carries cultural weight but remains commercially under monetised.
