What Suomen Cheerleadingliitto - Finnish Cheerleading Federation does

Suomen Cheerleadingliitto ry (SCL), founded in 1995 and headquartered in Helsinki, is the sole national governing body for cheerleading and cheertanssi (performance cheer and dance) in Finland, affiliated with the International Cheer Union and the European Cheer Union. It licenses approximately 16,000 hobbyists through 62 member clubs nationwide — covering an estimated 90% of all Finnish cheerleading participants — and mandates annual licenses (harraste- and kilpailulisenssi) for all athletes aged seven and above, with insurance coverage through Pohjola's Sporttiturva product. The federation organizes a full national competition pyramid (Start, Spirit, Super, SM championships), runs national teams in cheer and cheertanssi disciplines, certifies coaches and referees, enforces anti-doping and disciplinary rules, and represents Finland at European and World Championships.

The federation's core digital infrastructure consists of three systems: Siiri, an event management platform for competition administration, team registration, referee consultations, and results; the Suomisport platform for centralized athlete and coach licensing; and FincheerTV, a streaming service that broadcasts domestic and international competitions globally under single-event and season-pass pricing (€11.99 per event, €89.99 season pass). Supporting platforms include a research registry of ~50 theses and studies, and the Fincheer fan shop operated through partner FAIS.

SCL operates as a registered Finnish non-profit association (rekisteröity yhdistys) with 25 professional staff and a network of volunteer committee chairs governing rules, competition, refereeing, and disciplinary functions. Revenue derives from four streams: member licensing fees, competition entry and event revenue (including FincheerTV subscriptions), sponsorship deals with three flagship partners (Vierumäki, Pohjola Vakuutus, Sokos Hotels) and six supporting partners (K-ryhmä, FAIS, Rebel Mark, FLEVA, Craft, Gutz), and merchandise. The federation also receives public funding from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, including a €40,000 grant awarded in 2025 for equality initiatives targeting boys and immigrant-background participants.

Name

Suomen Cheerleadingliitto - Finnish Cheerleading Federation

Legal name

Suomen Cheerleadingliitto ry

Website

https://scl.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Suomen Cheerleadingliitto ry is the sole national governing body for cheerleading and cheertanssi in Finland, licensing approximately 16,000 hobbyists through 62 member clubs, organizing national competitions and teams, and representing Finland at international championships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Federation / Cheerleading Governance

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Spectator Sports (71121), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adaptive & Para-Sport Coaching (HSADAEAM), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• National sports federation
• Cheerleading governance
• Athlete licensing services
• Coach education programs
• Competition management

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Member club licensing fees: All athletes aged 7+ in member clubs must purchase annual licenses (harraste- or kilpailulisenssi) via Suomisport. License fees fund federation operations, insurance (Sporttiturva), and competition infrastructure. 14,784 licenses sold in 2024-2025 season.
2. Competition entry and event revenue: Revenue generated from organizing national competitions (Start, Spirit, Super, SM, small group championships), PM and international competitions, and the FincheerTV streaming platform.
3. Sponsorship and partnership deals: Primary partners (Vierumäki, Pohjola Vakuutus, Sokos Hotels) and supporting partners (K-ryhmä, FAIS, Rebel Mark, FLEVA, Craft, Gutz) provide sponsorship revenue and in-kind support.
4. Merchandise (Fincheer fan shop): Federation operates the Fincheer fan shop (fincheer.fais.fi) selling official merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Suomen Cheerleadingliitto ry is the national governing body for cheerleading and cheertanssi in Finland, organizing national and international competitions, administering athlete and coach licensing through the Suomisport platform, running national team programs (women's cheer, coed cheer, cheertanssi, junior teams), providing coach education and certification, supporting club development through the Tähtiseurat quality program, and operating supporting digital infrastructure including the Siiri event management system, Suomisport licensing platform, and FincheerTV streaming service.

Product overview

Suomen Cheerleadingliitto operates a digital infrastructure centered around three core systems: Siiri (event management for competition administration and registration), Suomisport (centralized licensing for athletes and coaches), and FincheerTV (streaming platform for competition broadcasts). These systems support the federation's core functions of organizing national competitions, managing athlete eligibility through licenses, and providing media coverage of cheerleading events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FinCheerTV: Streaming platform for Finnish cheerleading competitions and events
• Tähtiseurat
• Active Cheer
• Cheer FOR LIFE

Products and services

• Siiri Event Management System
• Suomisport Athlete and Coach Licensing
• FincheerTV Streaming Platform
• National Cheerleading and Cheertanssi Competitions
• Coach Education and Certification Programs (Valmentajakoulutukset)
• National Team Programs
• Referee Consultation Services
• Club Development Program (Tähtiseurat)

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,784 licenses sold in 2024-2025 (+9% YoY), with ~16,000 total hobbyists representing ~90% of Finnish cheerleading participants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• VierumäkiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner of SCL. Vierumäki is a Finnish sports institute providing training facilities, camps, and coaching education venues for Finnish cheerleading. Hosts the Super 3-5 competition annually.
• Pohjola VakuutusflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner providing Sporttiturva insurance for all licensed cheerleading and cheertanssi athletes. Covers injuries up to 15,000€ including those without external cause, Achilles injuries, surgeries, and physiotherapy.
• Sokos HotelsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary partner providing accommodation services for athletes, coaches, and officials attending national competitions and training camps.
• K-ryhmä (Liike on lääke)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner promoting physical activity and cheerleading as a healthy lifestyle through the K-ryhmä 'Movement is Medicine' campaign.
• FAIScoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner operating the Fincheer fan merchandise shop (fincheer.fais.fi) and supporting SCL's digital platforms.
• Rebel Mark (Sportiro)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner providing cheerleading apparel and merchandise through sportiro.fi.
• FLEVA ProductionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner providing production services for SCL competitions and events.
• Craft SportswearcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner providing sports apparel for SCL events and national teams.
• GutzcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner providing cheerleading and dance apparel through gutz.fi.
• Pohjola TerveysmestaricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Sporttiturva insurance ecosystem, providing immediate health guidance and directing injured athletes to appropriate care via Pohjola's medical network.
• Suomen Voimisteluliitto (Finnish Gymnastics Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes the family adaptive training day at Kuortane Sports Institute with SCL, combining adaptive gymnastics and cheerleading outreach. Funded by Ahos development support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Norges Cheerleadingforbund: Norwegian national cheerleading federation and Nordic peer. Operates similar club-based licensing, national competitions, and national team programs under ICU/ECU governance, making it a close comparable for size and operating model.
• Dansk Cheerleading Forbund: Danish national cheerleading federation, another Nordic peer with similar member-club structure, licensing model, and ICU/ECU affiliation. Comparable in scale and operational approach to SCL.
• British Cheerleading Association: UK national governing body for cheerleading, structuring competitions, coach education, and member licensing. Directly comparable to SCL as a peer national federation serving a similar European market with affiliated-club licensing and competition infrastructure.
• Svenska Cheerleadingförbundet: Swedish national cheerleading federation and direct Nordic peer. Comparable structure: member clubs, license-based participation, ICU/ECU affiliation, and similar competition tiers. Strong geographic and cultural relevance for benchmarking.

Broad incumbents

• USASF (U.S. All Star Federation): Largest cheerleading sanctioning body globally, governing all-star competitions in the US. Comparable in function (competition rules, safety standards, coach credentials) but operates at vastly larger scale and as a broader incumbent across the most developed cheerleading market.
• European Cheer Union (ECU): Continental governing body of which SCL is a member. Directly comparable in governance function (competition rules, judging standards, EM organization) but operates at multi-country scale rather than a single national federation.
• International Cheer Union (ICU): Global governing body for cheerleading, of which SCL is a member. Sets international standards, organizes world championships, and pursues Olympic recognition. SCL is directly affiliated and aligned with ICU rules and judging rubrics.

Others

• Finnish Olympic Committee: National umbrella organization coordinating Finnish sports federations. SCL interacts with the Olympic Committee via Athletes' Committee representation and broader national sports policy. Comparable as a peer structure in the Finnish sport governance ecosystem.

Regional players

• Suomen Voimisteluliitto (Finnish Gymnastics Federation): Sibling Finnish national sports federation. Co-organizes adaptive training events with SCL and represents the broader gymnastics community in Finland. Comparable as a peer structure (member clubs, licensing, coaching education) within the same national sport ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Japan Cheerleading Association: National cheerleading organization in Japan, a peer federation outside the Nordic core but with comparable function (cheer and performance cheer/dance governance, national competitions, and member licensing).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/suomen-cheerleadingliitto-finnish-cheerleading-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Suomen Cheerleadingliitto - Finnish Cheerleading Federation