Ever wonder how the Swiss pursue their passion for sports? From fans to players to international organizations, Switzerland has a thriving sports scene. Watch the Sports Report to get insider insights on the athletic side of Switzerland.
These games could lead to something bigger, says YOG CEO Ian Logan
When Ian Logan joined as CEO of the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, he treated it much like a start-up, setting up his office, finding his team, and keeping in line with a set budget. In the third part of our special series, Logan echoes the challenges of his predecessors and hints that hosting the YOG could boost Switzerland’s chances of hosting the Olympics in the near future.
Forget tradition: PwC survey stresses need for innovation in sport
From changing consumption habits to competition from other entertainment formats and even tech companies, there is massive disruption in the sports industry, says David Dellea, director of sports business advisory at PwC Switzerland. The firm recently released its annual survey on the state of sports and found that while most are positive about growth, a common view is that innovation needs to be stepped up to stay ahead of the game.
International ski federation hangs its hopes on mobile gaming
As the 2019-20 ski season kicks into high gear, Sarah Lewis, secretary general of the International Ski Federation (FIS), previews what’s in store, including the new FIS mobile game that launches in January. Lewis hails the prestige of Switzerland’s ski competitions and talks about how China will more than double the global ski market with the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
5G will revolutionize eSports, says Sunrise CEO Olaf Swantee
Olaf Swantee, CEO of Sunrise Communications, says 5G technology will “make eSports accessible to the masses.” The new high-speed network will not only give a massive boost to e-gamers and the world of eSports, but Swantee says it will take sports training and consumption to another level.
The changing face of international street racing in Switzerland
Bulle, Geneva, and Sion host legendary elite street races in Switzerland that have joined forces to attract some of the world’s top runners. While many other Swiss races have little or no prize money on the line, Guillaume Laurent, partner at ATHLE.ch, discusses what sets some races apart and what lures international athletes to come and put on a show for the Swiss public.
The challenge of getting sponsors for the Youth Olympic Games
With 80 days to go until the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, we look back at lessons learned with Peter Bayer, who was CEO of the first YOG at Innsbruck in 2012. In the second of our monthly series, Bayer, currently secretary general for motor sport at FIA, talks about the difficulty of getting sponsorship without awareness or television coverage.
Giving basketball fans content they want—how and when they want it
According to Paul Stimpson, managing director at FIBA Media, the way basketball is consumed is as important as how the sport is organized and played. Stimpson, who declined to comment on the NBA-China controversy, talks about the importance of making all FIBA games available at top quality for fans no matter where, or on which platform, they’re being watched around the world.
How the IOC is learning from its past mistakes
The International Olympic Committee says it will no longer invest in new infrastructures in host cities if they’re not needed for the future. IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi is applying what he calls “smart economics” to save billions of dollars on the upcoming Lausanne Youth Olympic Games and Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020.
Olympic champion Hoefflin: “I try to only take the plane if I have to”
Changing habits in the Swiss sports world is an uphill battle, says Nicholas Bornstein, founder of Protect Our Winters Switzerland. Swiss Olympic ski champion Sarah Hoefflin, also a member of the organization, talks about the challenges and contradictions of being a globetrotting athlete trying to live sustainably.
Chappelet: “The idea is not to make a profit out of these games”
Olympic capital Lausanne will host the third edition of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, which features athletes from 15 to 18 years old. In the first of our monthly series looking deeper into the event, Jean-Loup Chappelet, professor at IDHEAP and Olympics expert, talks about the historical, academic, cultural, and business implications of hosting the first Olympic event in Switzerland since the 1948 Winter Games in St. Moritz.
Sustainability expert: “By definition an event will never be green”
Françoise Jaquet, president of the Swiss Alpine Club, and Neil Beecroft, co-founder of Sport and Sustainability International, have a common goal: to help preserve Switzerland’s natural beauty through the world of sport. Sports correspondent Matt Leighton caught up with both of them at the Moving Mountains Forum in Vaud earlier this month.
The new Swiss flying sailboat that may change the market
The TF35 flying sailboat is the first of its kind, says class manager Bertrand Favre. The Swiss-made foiling catamaran, which made its successful debut on Lake Geneva last month, will launch a whole new market, but only for those with at least 750,000 euros to spare, not to mention the 500,000 per season to maintain it.
Switzerland’s “Jetman” wants to turn us into a “flying species”
Swiss pilot Yves Rossy is back in Switzerland after some years based in Dubai. Known to many as the “Jetman,” Rossy is perfecting his jet wing, which now successfully flies vertically up and down (if only indoors). Before he gets new sponsors, the next step is to take his invention outdoors. Now all he needs to do is improve the safety features to “turn humans into a flying species.”
Schwingfest showdown: the Swiss event of Olympic proportions
On August 23, more than 350,000 fans will descend on Zug for the three-day event known as Schwingfest. The Federal Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival takes place every three years but takes at least six years to plan. The stadium built especially for the “mega event” seats more than 56,000 and is the largest construction of its kind in the world. Heinz Tännler, president of the organizing committee, talks about what it takes to pull off “the biggest event in Switzerland.”
The business of e-bikes in Switzerland
The electric bike was patented back in 1895, but it is only in the last 15 years that the market has really taken off. Switzerland saw a jump in sales in 2018 and e-bike manufacturers predict that level of growth will continue, says Andy Kessler, CEO of Flyer.
