Norges Ishockeyforbund

What Norges Ishockeyforbund does

Norges Ishockeyforbund (NIHF) is the official national governing body for ice hockey in Norway, recognized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and affiliated with Norges Idrettsforbund. Founded in 1934 and headquartered at Sognsveien 73, Oslo, the federation regulates organized ice hockey in Norway from grassroots entry through elite international competition. Its service portfolio spans club licensing for 46+ member clubs across seven geographic regions, national team programs for men's, women's, U20, U18 and para hockey, referee and coach education through structured certification ladders, integrity and safeguarding programs (Varslinger/SI IFRA, #STOPP, FairPlay), and youth development under the Isbjørnmodellen (Polar Bear Model) framework.

NIHF operates a modest in-house technology footprint anchored on digital administration platforms rather than proprietary IP. Core systems include HockeyLive for series schedules and match administration, TurneringsAdmin (TA) for tournament management, Streaming & TV for broadcast delivery, the SI IFRA whistleblower channel hosted on hockey.no, and an online merchandise store operated through shop.neh.com/norskhockey. Web analytics are handled via standard Google Analytics instrumentation. The federation does not publish APIs, mobile applications, or disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

The federation is funded through a diversified mix of recurring and transactional streams: annual club licensing and membership fees, title and category sponsorships (Fjordkraft for the men's elite league, Bambusa for the women's elite league, MECA as main partner, plus Norsk Tipping, Renault, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, and CCM), a 10-year exclusive broadcasting rights agreement with TV2 signed in September 2020, official merchandise sales, and commemorative auction proceeds (game-worn national team jerseys auctioned from kr 2,500). Pricing for entry-level hockey school programs is set locally by clubs and is effectively free for participants. NIHF is governed by its member clubs through the Forbundsting (Federation Assembly) and has no external equity ownership; it is not publicly traded.

Name

Norges Ishockeyforbund

Legal name

Norges Ishockeyforbund

Website

https://hockey.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Norges Ishockeyforbund is the official national ice hockey federation of Norway, regulating the sport from grassroots hockey schools through elite national teams across 46+ member clubs and seven regional sub-federations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Sports Federation (Ice Hockey Governance)

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Olympic & Multi-Sport Governing Bodies (IOC/IPC, Continental Games Federations) (MPAKAFAA), Anti-Doping & Integrity Bodies (WADA, match-fixing/integrity units) (MPAKAFAJ), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Ice hockey federation
• National sports governance
• Youth hockey development
• Referee education programs
• Ice hockey league administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and commercial partnerships: NIHF generates revenue through sponsorship agreements with commercial partners including Fjordkraft (league sponsor for men's elite), Bambusa (women's league sponsor), MECA (main sponsor), and TV2 (broadcasting rights via a 10-year agreement). Revenue supports federation operations and club development.
2. Club licensing and membership fees: All clubs undergo annual license applications reviewed by NIHF. Fees are collected from member clubs as part of the licensing process for each season.
3. Nettbutikk (Online merchandise store): The federation operates an online shop (shop.neh.com/norskhockey/) selling official merchandise including jerseys and equipment.
4. Auction of team merchandise: NIHF conducts auctions of game-worn national team jerseys (e.g., from the historic bronze medal World Championship team), with auction items starting at kr 2,500 per jersey.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Norges Ishockeyforbund (NIHF) is the official national governing body for ice hockey in Norway, organizing and regulating the sport from grassroots entry programs through elite national team competition. The federation operates hockey schools across seven regions, manages national team programs (men, women, U20, U18, para), administers leagues and tournaments via HockeyLive, delivers coach and referee education, and runs anti-doping and integrity programs including a whistleblower channel. Revenue is generated through commercial sponsorships, club licensing fees, broadcasting rights, and online merchandise sales.

Product overview

Norges Ishockeyforbund operates as Norway's national ice hockey federation, offering a portfolio of programs and services organized around four main areas: youth development (Isbjørnmodellen), competitive hockey administration (HockeyLive, TurneringsAdmin), inclusive programs (Superlag, Paraishockey), and athlete welfare (Varslinger, FairPlay). The organization also manages national team programs across multiple categories, referee education, and streaming services for league and international competitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HockeyLive Online competition administration platform providing live match schedules, results, and series administration for Norwegian ice hockey leagues. Used by clubs, referees, and participants to manage and follow league competition across all divisions.
• Isbjørnmodellen Comprehensive youth and player development framework and philosophy that guides all Norwegian ice hockey from grassroots entry level to elite national team play. Provides structured guidelines for clubs and coaches on player development.
• Superlag Inclusive hockey program for athletes with special needs, offering participation opportunities without skill requirements. Delivered through partner clubs including Frisk Asker, Sparta, Lørenskog, Vålerenga, Stavanger, and Stjernen, including pathways toward national team and international competition.
• Paraishockey Para ice hockey program for athletes with disabilities, including national team representation in international competitions such as IIHF World Championships and Paralympic qualification events.
• Skøyte- og hockeyskole (Find Your School) Directory and recruitment service connecting new participants (children, youth, adults) with local skating and hockey schools across Norway. 46+ schools operate across 7 NIHF regions, providing free entry-level access to ice hockey.
• Varslinger (SI IFRA Whistleblower Channel) Whistleblowing channel for reporting inappropriate behavior, discrimination, harassment, doping, and match-fixing in the Norwegian ice hockey community. Reports are received by the Interim Secretary General and Administrative Consultant.
• Landslag (National Teams) National team programs for Men's A, Women's A, U20, U18 (boys and girls), and Para Hockey representing Norway in international competitions including IIHF World Championships and Paralympic events.
• Dommer (Referee) Program Referee education and development program with six certification levels from Club Referee to elite IIHF level, including training camps, FastTrack program for ex-players, and equipment provision.
• Streaming & TV Live streaming and on-demand broadcast service for Norwegian hockey league matches and national team events, operated alongside the federation's 10-year TV2 broadcasting agreement.
• TurneringsAdmin (TA) Tournament administration system for managing match schedules, results, statistics, and referee payment processing (dommerregning) across Norwegian ice hockey competitions.
• Nettbutikk (Official Online Merchandise Store) Federation-operated online shop selling official Norwegian ice hockey merchandise including jerseys and equipment, supplemented by auctions of commemorative game-worn national team jerseys.

Quantifiable outcome

• Norway won its first-ever World Championship medal (bronze) in ice hockey, May 2026
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• BambusacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Bambusa became the league sponsor for the women's top division (Eliteserien Kvinner), which was renamed the Bambusa-ligaen. Bambusa also invited both elite and grassroots clubs to sponsorship partnerships.
• MECA (Bilverkstedkjeden)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 October 2020MECA extended its main sponsor agreement with NIHF, providing automotive-related services and branding partnership for Norwegian ice hockey.
• FjordkraftcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2020Fjordkraft became the league sponsor for the Norwegian men's top division (GET-ligaen), renamed Fjordkraft-ligaen. The sponsor logo appears on all player jerseys in the league.
• TV2coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 September 2020NIHF and Norsk Topphockey signed a historic 10-year broadcasting deal with TV2 for the exclusive rights to broadcast Norwegian ice hockey, including the Fjordkraft Ligaen and national team matches.
• Renault NorgeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 November 2019Renault entered into a sponsorship agreement with NIHF in November 2019, providing automotive sponsorship support.
• Norsk TippingmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorsk Tipping is listed as a partner of NIHF, providing support through the national gaming company's sports sponsorship program.
• Antidoping NorgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIHF is affiliated with Antidoping Norge (anti-doping agency) and displays the antidoping logo on its website. NIHF maintains anti-doping programs and policies.
• Sparebankstiftelsen DNBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSparebankstiftelsen DNB funded a project to provide free equipment packages to club referees, enabling NIHF to distribute equipment to clubs with active recruitment programs.
• CCM (Hockey Equipment)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNIHF worked with CCM to assemble equipment packages for club referees through favorable supplier agreements.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hockey Canada: Hockey Canada — the national governing body for ice hockey in Canada. Direct peer in federation structure (national team programs, member clubs, IIHF affiliation, grassroots hockey schools), with a much larger market scope.
• USA Hockey: USA Hockey — the national governing body for ice hockey in the United States. Direct peer providing analogous federation functions including national team programs, the NTDP development model (analogous to NIHF's Isbjørnmodellen), and grassroots hockey programming.
• Svenska Ishockeyförbundet: Swedish Ice Hockey Federation — the national governing body for ice hockey in Sweden. Direct peer to NIHF in structure (national federation under IIHF), functions (league governance, national team programs, development pathways), and Nordic market context.
• Schweizerischer Eishockeyverband: Swiss Ice Hockey Federation — the national governing body for ice hockey in Switzerland. Direct peer with a similar mid-sized European market context, National League operation, and IIHF affiliation.
• Danmarks Ishockey Union: Danish Ice Hockey Union — the national governing body for ice hockey in Denmark. Direct peer operating in a similar Nordic market with comparable federation structure, smaller-market dynamics, and IIHF affiliation.
• Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto: Finnish Ice Hockey Association — the national governing body for ice hockey in Finland. Direct peer operating with a similar federation structure, elite league (Liiga), national teams, and IIHF affiliation. Finland represents a benchmark for ice hockey development that NIHF aspires to in terms of competitiveness.
• Deutscher Eishockey-Bund: German Ice Hockey Federation — the national governing body for ice hockey in Germany. Direct peer operating a DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) and national team programs with similar federation structure to NIHF.
• Ice Hockey UK: Ice Hockey UK — the national governing body for ice hockey in the United Kingdom. Direct peer operating in a comparable smaller-market European federation context with grassroots development emphasis analogous to NIHF's hockey schools.

Others

• Norges Idrettsforbund: NIF (Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports) — the parent confederation of which NIHF is a member federation. Not a peer in the direct competition sense, but the umbrella organization that distributes public funding and coordinates Olympic and Paralympic participation across Norwegian sports federations.

Broad incumbents

• International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF): IIHF — the international federation to which NIHF is affiliated. IIHF operates one level above national federations and is comparable as the apex governance body for ice hockey worldwide, organizing the World Championships in which NIHF's national team competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/norskishockey
• Instagraminstagram.com/norskishockey
• Facebookfacebook.com/norskishockey
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norges-ishockeyforbund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Norges Ishockeyforbund