Berchtesgaden (FIL) The International Luge Federation (FIL) is greatly satisfied with its television coverage in the past 2006/2007 season. As in previous years, the German public television networks ARD and ZDF as well as the pan-European television network Eurosport covered luge racing regularly with excellent television ratings.

Outstanding and so far unequalled ratings were achieved by the coverage of the Viessmann World Cup in Winterberg: 4.2 million spectators watched the men‘s decision on ARD representing a market share of 26.8 per cent and the second best sports rating of the day.

Luge racing at the 39th Luge World Championships was also well accepted by television spectators: far more than three million people watched the competitions on ZDF on Saturday and Sunday, February 3/4, 2007. Apart from this, market shares up to 25 per cent were reached in Austria on the Austrian public television network ORF.

With 1.2 million spectators, live coverage of the women‘s decision in Oberhof achieved the top rating on Eurosport. As mentioned in the magazine Sponsors (02/2007 edition), this show earned a market share of 4.6% and the best rating of all sport shows on Eurosport in the period between December 16, 2006 and January 15, 2007.

The positive development of the television coverage of the sport of luge was also noted by others in the business. The magazine Sponsor news, for example, stated in its March 2007 edition that luge is developing more and more into the third strong winter sport besides biathlon and ski jumping. An assessment, which is certainly going to spur on responsible persons within the International Luge Federation also in the future.