TV5 AND HBO MAX EXTEND SKI CLASSICS PARTNERSHIP IN FINLAND
- All 15 events of the Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII will be shown live in Finland
- Free-to-air coverage on TV5 available from the Bad Gastein Prologue on December 11 through to the Grand Finale on Senja
- Every event will stream live on HBO Max
Ski Classics, TV5 and HBO Max, part of Skydance, have extended their broadcast partnership in Finland. TV5 and HBO Max remain the exclusive Finnish home of the Ski Classics World Championship for Season XVIII and, as in previous seasons, every event will be shown live, most of them free-to-air on TV5.
Coverage runs all winter with every event streaming on HBO Max, from the opening prologue in Bad Gastein on December 11, 2026 to the Grand Finale on Senja on April 4, 2027.
"Finland is one of the great cross-country skiing nations, and continuing our strong media collaboration there is important. The fans have a familiar place where they can follow the Ski Classics World Championship and its athletes throughout the winter," said David Nilsson, CEO, Ski Classics.
“Great skiing performances and stunning scenery draw people to Ski Classics. We have built an endurance sports package for TV5 around Ski Classics races and classic marathons, and viewers have discovered it nicely”, said Antti Haajanen, VP Sports Nordics, Skydance.
About Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII
Season XVIII spans 15 events over 9 weekends across six countries — Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Norway — from December 2026 through April 2027:
- Dec 11, 2026: Bad Gastein Prologue, Austria (1 km, individual time trial)
- Dec 13, 2026: Sportgastein Criterium, Austria (30 km, mass start)
- Dec 19, 2026: Bad Gastein ITT, Austria (7 km, individual time trial)
- Dec 20, 2026: Bad Gastein Criterium, Austria (36 km, mass start)
- Jan 16, 2027: Engadin La Diagonela, Switzerland (55 km, mass start)
- Jan 17, 2027: Zuoz–St. Moritz Sprint, Switzerland (30 km, sprint)
- Jan 31, 2027: Marcialonga, Italy (70 km, mass start)
- Feb 12, 2027: Bedřichov Heat Sprint, Czech Republic (1.5 km, heat format)
- Feb 14, 2027: Jizerská 50, Czech Republic (50 km, mass start)
- Feb 27–28, 2027: Oxberg–Mora Sprint (women and men), Sweden (30 km, sprint)
- Mar 7, 2027: Vasaloppet, Sweden (90 km, mass start)
- Mar 20, 2027: Birkebeinerrennet, Norway (53 km, mass start)
- Apr 3, 2027: Reistadløpet, Norway (35 km, mass start)
- Apr 4, 2027: Grand Finale — Summit 2 Senja, Norway (60 km, mass start)