International Skating Union

What International Skating Union does

The International Skating Union (ISU), founded in 1892 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the exclusive IOC-recognized international governing body for four ice skating disciplines: Figure Skating (Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance), Synchronized Skating, Speed Skating, and Short Track Speed Skating. The organization serves 88 member national federations worldwide, providing standardized rules, competition formats, officiating frameworks, and Olympic qualification pathways. Its core product portfolio centers on premier annual event properties including the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Series (six events across three continents culminating in a Grand Prix Final), the ISU Short Track World Tour (seven global events with ISU-owned team IPs), and ISU World Championships across all four disciplines, supplemented by development programs, the E-Rink e-learning platform, the World Ice Skating Day grassroots initiative, and athlete welfare services such as the Calm Zone.

The ISU's technology stack is anchored by the Vision 2030 digital transformation program, executed in partnership with Deloitte to deliver a unified digital ecosystem connecting data, events, and fan experiences. Proprietary technology features include AI and computer vision judging support tools built on two years of camera-based machine learning, Smart Vision performance analytics from Swiss Timing, the Arwen AI-powered social media monitoring platform for athlete safeguarding, and the Aiving Jump Tracker wearable delivering real-time performance data. The organization also administers the new Synchro9 synchronized skating format (included in the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games) and runs the Skating Integrity Unit for governance oversight.

The ISU's business model is membership- and rights-driven rather than transactional. Revenue streams include membership contributions from 88 national federations, broadcast and commercial rights (currently being tendered to new agency partners), sponsorship, event-related income from World Championships and Grand Prix events, and development program funding. Prize money across competitions doubled from USD 5.4 million to USD 11 million beginning with the 2026/27 season, and the organization recorded 408 million video views across its digital channels during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics — a 37x increase from Beijing 2022. The ISU claims a global fan base of approximately 330 million people and maintains localized social media presence across Western, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese platforms. As a private, member-based international federation, the ISU has no external investors and is governed by Congress through elected leadership, currently under President Jae Youl Kim (re-elected June 2026 for a term through 2030) with Colin Smith as Director General.

Name

International Skating Union

Legal name

International Skating Union

Website

https://isu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Skating Union, founded in 1892 and headquartered in Lausanne, is the IOC-recognized global governing body for figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track. It serves 88 member national federations by administering rules, World Championships, Grand Prix events, Olympic qualification, and athlete welfare programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Sports Federation Governance

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Olympic & Multi-Sport Governing Bodies (IOC/IPC, Continental Games Federations) (MPAKAFAA)

Keywords

• International sports federation
• Ice skating governance
• Figure skating events
• Speed skating competitions
• Athlete development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Broadcast and Commercial Rights: The ISU manages commercial and broadcast rights for its events, with a tender process launched to select agency partners to manage these rights as part of Vision 2030 strategy.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from organizing world championships, Grand Prix events, World Cup circuits, and the Short Track World Tour.
3. Membership Fees: Revenue from 88 member national federations through membership contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The International Skating Union governs and promotes four Olympic ice-skating disciplines—Figure Skating, Synchronized Skating, Speed Skating, and Short Track Speed Skating—through standardized rules, World Championships, the Grand Prix Series, the Short Track World Tour, and the new Synchro9 format. It generates revenue by licensing broadcast and commercial rights for its competitions, collecting membership contributions from 88 national federations, and running athlete development, education, and safeguarding programs that produce Olympic-level athletes.

Product overview

The International Skating Union (ISU) offers a comprehensive portfolio of sports products and services centered around governing and promoting four ice skating disciplines: Figure Skating, Synchronized Skating, Speed Skating, and Short Track Speed Skating. The core product suite includes world championships, the Figure Skating Grand Prix Series (six events across three continents culminating in a Final), the Short Track World Tour (seven global events with ISU-owned team IPs), and the new Synchro9 format (nine-skater synchronized skating with knockout competition). Supporting products include the E-Rink e-learning platform for training, World Ice Skating Day (global participation initiative), development camps, scholarships, and the Center of Excellence. Technology-enhanced offerings include the Aiving Jump Tracker (wearable performance tracking) and the AI-powered Arwen social media monitoring platform. The strategic Vision 2030 framework guides all initiatives around five pillars: Growth, Opportunity, Innovation, Safeguarding, and Unity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vision 2030: ISU's long-term strategic roadmap for modernizing ice-skating globally
• Skating Integrity Unit
• Synchro9
• Calm Zone
• Arwen

Products and services

• ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Series Premier annual international figure skating competition series with six events across three continents, offering athletes a qualification pathway to the Grand Prix Final; aimed at elite international skaters, member federations, broadcasters, and global fans.
• ISU Short Track World Tour ISU-owned annual short track speed skating competition series featuring seven global events with ISU-owned team intellectual property; targeted at elite athletes, broadcasters, sponsors, and fans of short track speed skating.
• Synchro9 New ISU synchronized skating competition format featuring nine skaters per team with a faster, knockout-style structure designed for broadcast and digital audiences; intended for elite synchronized skating teams, federations, broadcasters, and fans.
• World Ice Skating Day Annual global one-day festival held the first Sunday of December that makes ice skating accessible to everyone through free activities at local clubs and rinks worldwide, in partnership with brands such as Jackson Ultima and Inclusive Skating; aimed at grassroots participants, families, and the general public.
• ISU Development Camps International training camps that develop athletes, coaches, and officials from ISU member national federations; offered to skating federations worldwide as part of the ISU's development mission (109 supported athletes competed at Milano Cortina 2026).
• ISU Scholarships Financial support programs for athletes and skating development initiatives distributed via member national federations; targeted at emerging skaters and federations needing development funding.
• ISU Center of Excellence ISU facility providing elite training and resources for developing skating talent internationally; accessed by member federations and their athletes.
• ISU E-Rink Online e-learning platform at elearning.isu.org providing educational resources, training modules, and professional development courses for skating development; available to member federations, coaches, officials, and skaters.
• Calm Zone Athlete Welfare Program Athlete welfare and mental health support program delivered at ISU events, providing dedicated quiet spaces for athletes; available at 14 ISU events during the 2025/26 season with over 1,000 athlete visits.
• Aiving Jump Tracker Wearable on-ice performance tracking device offered through ISU partnerships that straps to skates and delivers real-time jump metrics to support athlete development and injury risk minimization; available to skaters and federations through ISU Members and Centres of Excellence.
• Arwen AI Social Media Monitoring AI-powered social media monitoring service deployed by the ISU to help protect athletes from online abuse; available to athletes as part of the federation's safeguarding programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• 408 million video views during Milan Olympics (37x increase from Beijing 2022)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Agency Partners (Commercial Rights)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026ISU launched a tender process to select agency partners to manage its commercial and broadcast rights as part of Vision 2030 strategy, aiming to grow skating globally and increase engagement.
• DeloittecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2026Strategic partnership to create a unified digital ecosystem connecting data, events, and fan experiences across the organization. Deloitte is supporting ISU's digital transformation initiatives under Vision 2030 strategy, helping modernize operations and enhance fan engagement through technology.
• AivingsupportingTechnology or Integration · 30 January 2026Partnership to provide on-ice performance tracking and training support for Figure Skaters through Jump Tracker wearable devices that strap to skates, delivering real-time jump data to support athlete development and minimize injury risk.
• Jackson UltimasupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2023Partner for World Ice Skating Day promoting accessibility to Figure Skating. Jackson Ultima is a Canadian-based global leader in Figure Skating boots and blades.
• Inclusive SkatingsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Institutional Partner for World Ice Skating Day, supporting skaters with special needs or disabilities to enjoy equitable participation in ice skating sports.
• Ice Skating JewelleryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2023World Ice Skating Day partner creating special custom-made merchandise with exclusive blade charm and engraved medallion.
• Swiss TimingcoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss Timing showcased Smart Vision technology at ISU Congress 2026, delivering new performance insights in Figure Skating with long-term objective of assisting officiating across multiple disciplines.
• MaelstromsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPresented data-driven analysis of judging performance at ISU Congress 2026, supporting ISU's efforts to strengthen confidence, consistency and transparency in officiating.
• GlicesupportingTechnology or IntegrationPresented synthetic ice technology at ISU Congress 2026, opening new possibilities for skating development in regions where traditional ice infrastructure remains limited.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF): Governs ice hockey globally and is a fellow winter-sport International Federation recognized by the IOC. Most directly comparable peer because it shares the same ice-based infrastructure constraints, Olympic-aligned competition calendar, and event-driven revenue model as the ISU.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/isu_figure
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SkatingISU
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISUDevProjects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-skating-union
• Instagraminstagram.com/isufigureskating

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Skating Union