Saalbach 2025 showcases recordbreaking viewing figures

Feb 21, 2025 – The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Saalbach 2025 were a huge success on the sporting front and generated record-breaking viewing figures to match it, on and off the Zwölferkogel. 

Across digital platforms, Saalbach 2025 enjoyed groundbreaking results, with the FIS Alpine social media channels tallying a total reach of 116 million and more than five million interactions – more than three times what was achieved in the previous FIS Alpine World Ski Championships (WSC), in Courchevel-Méribel 2023. 

On Instagram specifically, FIS Alpine notched up over three million interactions with a reach of 69.8 million. The daily coverage included exclusive behind-the-scenes content such as ‘Behind the Medal Plaza’, a live FIS TV show in which all the medalists shared their feelings immediately before taking to the podium, right as their names were engraved on their medals. 

Also proving successful was the documentary ‘Saalbach Unplugged’ – co-produced with Austrian state broadcaster ORF, Ski Austria, and Infront – which showcased “hidden heroes” before and during the championships.
 

In the stands and at home

The constant sight of packed stands never left any doubt that Saalbach 2025 was an enormous success in terms of attendance:  some 175,000 fans attended the WSC as a whole – in the finish stadium and along the course – with a record 23,000 watching the men’s Slalom on the final day.  

In host nation Austria, anyone who was not in Saalbach was glued to the screen: ORF reported high viewer numbers with a total of five million – close to 70% of the domestic TV audience aged 12 and over – watching its live broadcasts. The men’s downhill, where home favorite Vincent Kriechmayr took silver behind Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen, attracted top ratings of 1.45 million and an average of 1.13 million. 

The second run of the men’s Slalom was just behind with an average viewership of 1.12 million, while the women’s Downhill also attained a seven-figure average with 1.05 million. 

ORF also had record streaming figures of 3.5 million net views and 105 million minutes of usage for the WSC. The most popular livestream was the women’s Team Combined Slalom with an average of 66,400 viewers.  

“The WSC were also a success from an economic perspective,” said ORF Director General Roland Weißmann. “The event provided a tangible impulse for the region, boosted trade and services and created additional jobs. In terms of tourism, the Alpine World Ski Championships attracted worldwide attention and presented Saalbach as an attractive winter sports destination.”  

Switzerland’s prime national broadcaster – German-language SRF – also revealed strong figures with von Allmen’s triumph attracting up to 1.19 million viewers, a market share of 75.9%. The Swiss 1-2 in the women’s Slalom on the final Saturday – where Camille Rast won gold from Wendy Holdener – was watched by an average audience of 643,000, representing a 78.1% market share. 

Over half a million watched the medal ceremony for the men’s Team Combined, as Switzerland swept the podium, with similar numbers catching the subsequent magazine show featuring interviews of all six medalists.