13.08.2026
The Show continues! The International Skating Union (ISU) is proud to announce that its Showtime campaign, created for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 Sports Business Awards in the category of Best Sports Marketing Campaign – League or Governing Body, in recognition of its creativity, cultural impact and record-breaking digital performance.
The ISU is one of seven organisations shortlisted in the category, alongside Euroleague Basketball, RFU & MATTA, Scottish Rugby, Skateboard GB, Swim England and The FA.
The Sports Business Awards recognise the teams and organisations working behind the scenes to drive sporting excellence, celebrating their creativity, resilience, adaptability and resourcefulness. The 2026 awards ceremony will take place on 27 November at Old Billingsgate in London, bringing together more than 600 industry professionals from across the sports business world.
ISU Director General Colin Smith said:
“Being shortlisted for the Sports Business Awards is a fantastic recognition of the creativity, ambition and teamwork behind our Showtime campaign, and of the wider transformation taking place across the ISU. Over the past four years, we have been reshaping the ISU and the way skating is presented, experienced and valued around the world. That transformation reaches across every part of our organisation - from stronger governance, athlete safeguarding and recognition, to more compelling events and storytelling, a bolder global brand and digital presence, new commercial opportunities, and deeper collaboration with our Members, athletes, officials, partners and fans.
Showtime was a powerful expression of that transformation on sport’s biggest stage. It allowed us to present skating at the Olympic Winter Games in a fresh, contemporary and engaging way, and its record-breaking performance demonstrated the extraordinary potential of our sports when we combine world-class athletic performance with creativity and powerful storytelling.
This nomination is therefore more than recognition of one successful campaign; it is a testament to how far the ISU has come and to the momentum we are building. We are immensely proud of what has been achieved, but even more excited about what lies ahead as we continue to grow the reach, relevance and impact of skating around the world.
We would like to thank RedTorch for their outstanding collaboration in bringing this campaign to life. Their innovative spirit and expertise have been instrumental in turning our vision into a bold, dynamic and powerful campaign that captures the energy of our sports.”
At the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, 430 Skaters from 41 delegations competed across Figure Skating, Short Track and Speed Skating. With skating consistently among the most watched and talked-about sports at the Winter Games, the ISU saw an opportunity to showcase the sport beyond competition and connect with audiences in new and unexpected ways.
A Showtime visual highlighting behind-the-scenes story on Femke Kok (NED). © ISU
Working closely with independent sports marketing agency Redtorch, the ISU developed Showtime as a campaign platform designed to unite existing fans, engage new audiences and demonstrate that skating is more than a sport - it is a spectacle, a culture and a lifestyle shaped by extraordinary talent, dedication and creativity.
A Showtime Winner graphic highlighting Alysa Liu (USA). © ISU
The campaign was underpinned by audience research and a clear strategy, with three key objectives:
The Showtime Quizz on the ISU App. © ISU
The results went well beyond the campaign’s original targets, delivering record-breaking digital performance across the ISU’s global channels. In the immediate post-Games analysis, Showtime propelled the ISU to the second-largest Western social media audience among all Winter International Federations, while maintaining its undisputed leadership across Asian channels.
A Showtime visual highlighting Short Track Team USA. © ISU
Over 25 days, Showtime brought the stories, personalities and culture of skating to life in ways the ISU had never done before, creating content and experiences that went beyond the traditional competition narrative.
A Showtime "Giant" skater visual effect highlighting Ekaterina Kurakova (POL) . © ISU
The Showtime "Guess the Skater" quizz visuals . © ISU
Among the campaign highlights were:
The Home of Skating opening event with Labubu during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. © ISU
Ice Dance Legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean visiting the ISU Home of Skating in Milan, during the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 © ISU
Through these activations, Showtime positioned skating at the intersection of sport, entertainment, fashion and popular culture, creating stronger and more diverse connections with audiences around the world.
The Sports Business Awards shortlist comes at a pivotal moment for the ISU as it continues to build towards its Vision 2030 and develop a stronger, more contemporary global identity for skating.
With record-breaking digital engagement and a campaign that successfully extended skating’s presence beyond the ice, Showtime marks an important step in the ISU’s ambition to build stronger, year-round connections with fans and position skating at the heart of global sports culture.
With the BEIJING28 combined ISU World Championships events and the Alpes 2030 Olympic Winter Games on the horizon, the ISU will continue to build on the momentum generated at Milano Cortina, transforming the campaign’s cultural connections and audience growth into sustained, long-term engagement with skating fans around the world.