Swedish commercial and pay-television broadcaster TV4 has acquired rights for the Ski Classics series of long-distance skiing championship in a two-year deal, from 2012-13 to 2013-14.
TV4 purchased rights for five of the six scheduled races from the IEC in Sports agency.
TV4 will broadcast the events which take place in Jizerská Padesatká in the Czech Republic, Marcialonga in Italy, König Ludwig Lauf in Germany and Birkebeinerrennet in Norway before showing the Ski Classics Final, which will take place at a yet-to-be-announced destination in Sweden.
TV4 will broadcast the final hour of every event live on its main terrestrial channel, TV4.
Swedish public-service broadcaster SVT has already acquired rights for the other scheduled race in the 2013 series, taking place in Vasaloppet, Sweden.
“The long-distance races in Swix Ski Classics have developed very positively in recent years with a high increase in the number of amateur skiers, especially from Sweden, participating side by side with the world’s elite,” Hans Pekkari, sports director of the TV4 Group, said. “We want to reflect this growing Swedish and international change with highly expanded television exposure.”
The 2012-13 Ski Classics season commences on January 13 in the Czech Republic.