Swiss Top Events Take a Clear Stand Against the SRG Initiative
The Swiss Top Events are taking a clear position against the SRG Initiative, which calls for a reduction of the radio and television license fee to CHF 200 and would effectively halve SRG’s budget. The Swiss Top Events advocate for a strong public service broadcaster and warn of the serious consequences such a drastic cut would entail.
As an alliance of international flagships of the Swiss events calendar, Swiss Top Events exemplify the combination of sporting excellence and cultural impact. Their events unite top-level performance with staging, emotion, music, and modern media production. They are social meeting points with national and international reach and shape Switzerland’s image far beyond its borders.
This impact is inextricably linked to strong, professional, and nationwide media coverage. A drastic reduction in SRG funding would harm sport, cultural diversity, and audiovisual value creation, and would sustainably weaken Switzerland’s international visibility.
Raphaël Brunschwig, Co-President of Swiss Top Events and CEO of the Locarno Film Festival, underscores the cultural dimension: “Sporting and cultural events shape a country’s self-image. SRG makes this content accessible to everyone and provides the necessary depth and quality. It is a central pillar for cultural diversity and for a strong audiovisual ecosystem in Switzerland. Weakening public service broadcasting would have direct consequences for production, creativity, and cultural visibility.”
Each year, SRG broadcasts around 9,000 hours of live sport on television, radio, and digital platforms—in all national languages and for all regions. A large share of this airtime is devoted to sports and events outside the media mainstream. It is precisely this diversity that is essential for Swiss Top Events.
Christoph Joho, Co-President of Swiss Top Events and Co-Meeting Director of Weltklasse Zürich, emphasizes the importance for sport: “Elite sport needs visibility - not only for individual major events, but for the overall development of sport in Switzerland. SRG creates reach, role models, important figures of identification for younger generations, and unforgettable, emotional moments for the entire population. If the SRG Initiative were accepted, many sports would be pushed into niche channels and, through the loss of visibility, would face an existential threat. Anyone who wants to strengthen sport - from grassroots to world class - must clearly say NO to the SRG Initiative.”
A further key element of the impact of Swiss Top Events is highly professional audio and video coverage. SRG produces sporting and cultural events to the highest technical and journalistic standards and acts as a reliable host broadcaster for national and international major events. This expertise is a decisive location factor for Switzerland.
Moreover, SRG makes a substantial contribution to strengthening the audiovisual and cultural ecosystem. It supports production companies, cultural practitioners, musicians, and technical service providers, thereby creating a diverse and vibrant production environment. The entire Swiss cultural landscape benefits from this.
Swiss Top Events therefore issue a strong warning about the consequences of a drastic cut to SRG funding: a NO to the SRG Initiative is a YES to sport, culture, diversity, and international appeal. On 8 March 2026, the decision will be made as to whether Switzerland can continue to rely on a strong, interconnected, and vibrant sporting and cultural landscape.
