The International Skating Union (ISU) and Two Circles have announced a new four-year partnership aimed at advancing the ongoing global transformation of skating, combining media rights consultancy, sales outside core markets, and broadcast production for all ISU sports.
This partnership represents a cornerstone of the ISU's ambition to expand its global fan base, strengthen audience connections, and create long-term sustainable value through its Events, athletes, and commercial rights. This first centralized tender for the ISU is pivotal to the sport's transformation, aligning with the overhaul of its digital architecture and laying a solid foundation for the continued growth of skating.
Under this new agreement, Two Circles will support the implementation of the ISU's dynamic commercial strategy, identifying opportunities in media rights, sponsorship, direct-to-consumer initiatives, and Events, with the goal of fostering sustainable growth and delivering added value to all skating stakeholders. As part of this expanded relationship, Two Circles will advise the ISU on balancing reach and revenue for all media rights while leading sales outside core markets to unlock new territories beyond its traditional strongholds.
Alongside media rights activities, Two Circles will provide production support throughout the agreement's duration, including live broadcast production and supplementary content to enhance broadcast promotion and storytelling, while creating a more cohesive and centralized production approach across the ISU calendar's various disciplines.
The partnership aligns with the ISU Vision by creating more opportunities for fans to discover, watch, follow, engage with, and learn about Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track, and Synchronized Skating.
Colin Smith, ISU Director General, stated: "Following the modernization of our governance structures and the success of Events in front of passionate global audiences, this partnership for media sales and live production is a critical step in realizing our strategic vision for skating. The integrated approach to the tender process establishes the foundation for efficient processes, working with industry-leading partners to generate value for all stakeholders in skating sports.."
Gareth Balch, CEO and co-founder of Two Circles, stated: "In recent years, we have witnessed the ISU's ambition for the future of skating and the passion of its global fan base. The opportunity now lies in connecting media rights, production, and content more closely around the fan journey, helping the ISU reach more people and deepen engagement across its sports. We are proud to continue this journey alongside the ISU and support its ambition to bring more people closer to skating, both on and off the ice.".”
The partnership will be delivered through Two Circles’ multi-capability offering, bringing together deep expertise to drive commercial progress across all of ISU. This will be led from Two Circles’ Bern (Switzerland) office, drawing on expertise from across its global teams.
About Two Circles:
Two Circles is a global sports and entertainment company that grows audiences and revenues for leading global organizations. We help our clients better understand their fans. Two Circles manages billions of fan data interactions on behalf of over 950 clients worldwide, with an unparalleled understanding of fan behavior and motivations. Two Circles collaborates with organizations in the sports and entertainment industries, including the NFL, the Premier League, Wimbledon, World Rugby, EA SPORTS, and UEFA.