Virtual Advertising Makes its Debut in Alpine Skiing

ÖSV and WWP-Group Successfully Debut Virtual Advertising at World Cup Finals in Saalbach Hinterglemm

Saalbach Hinterglemm, 26 March 2024 – The ski season closed with a milestone in sports innovation: following a two-year development phase, the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) and the sports marketing agency Weirather-Wenzel & Partner (WWP-Group), in collaboration with Austrian public broadcaster ORF and technology provider Supponor, successfully launched virtual advertising at the World Cup Finals in Saalbach for the first time.

Instead of traditional physical signage, digitally produced graphics – created by the ORF production team under the direction of Michael Kögler – were seamlessly integrated into the live broadcast signal and displayed along the course.

This successful debut positions the four partners as pioneers in winter sports, setting a new standard for professional sponsor visibility. The technology was developed not only to enhance athlete safety but also to make advertising more sustainable. It offers a host of benefits for sponsors, including increased flexibility in response to weather conditions, reduced production and logistics costs, and a lower environmental footprint.

Christian Scherer, Secretary General of the Austrian Ski Federation, commented:

“Investing in this technology felt both sensible and necessary to continue delivering world-class events to television audiences. I’m excited to move this development forward with our partners – to make skiing even safer and more environmentally responsible.”

Philipp Radel, Co-CEO of WWP-Group, added:

“We began this journey two years ago with a clear goal: to make skiing safer, greener, and more adaptable through virtual advertising. This technology opens up space for creative, forward-thinking ideas and we’re looking ahead to a season full of new opportunities for the sport.”

Massimo Magri, Chief Commercial Officer of Supponor, stated:

“Introducing SupponorAIR virtual advertising at the World Cup Finals in Saalbach marks a major milestone – not only for us but for the entire sports industry. It represents years of technological development resulting in a fully software-based solution that can be flexibly and seamlessly integrated into any terrain. We are grateful to our partners ÖSV, WWP, and ORF for their trust and look forward to building on this success in the seasons ahead.”

Watch the video showing the course with and without virtual advertising.