The International Ski Federation (FIS) governing body has brought in banking services heavyweight Visa as the title sponsor of the FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup.

Through a multi-year collaboration announced yesterday (November 19), Visa will first put its name to the 2024-25 edition of that series, which begins in Mylin, China, on November 30.

Visa will be adding value for its clients and cardholders through the deal, through perks such as hospitality packages, promotions, and discounts, at FIS World Cup events.

Visa adds this deal to its significant existing Winter Olympics association with the IOC - it has been a partner of that body since 1986 (across both the Summer and Winter Games), and in 2002 began supporting the Paralympic Games.

Michel Von, general secretary at the FIS, has now said: “We are thrilled and honored to welcome Visa to the FIS family, particularly in the run-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and as partners of one of our up-and-coming disciplines in Snowboard Alpine.”

Aside from its IOC deal, Visa also has sports sponsorships in place with properties such as F1 motor racing’s Red Bull (it title sponsors their sister team), and global soccer’s governing body FIFA.

Earlier this week, meanwhile, the firm was announced as a new partner of European basketball’s elite EuroLeague, also in a multi-year deal.

Other major FIS series sponsors, meanwhile, include brands such as Audi, Le Gruyere, Viessmann, Coop, and Hylo.

The in-house FIS Media & Marketing arm was established to handle the distribution of such rights in 2022.

The FIS is currently attempting to take the same approach of centralization with its media rights but is encountering stiff resistance from a number of its heavyweight member federations.