Sportinformation Si
Switzerland's national sports news agency from 1922 until its 2016 integration into the Swiss national news agency sda.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Sportinformation Si (Si) was the national sports news agency of Switzerland. Founded in Zurich in 1922 by Arnold Wehrle senior as the 'Zürcher Sportnachrichten-Bureau', it was renamed 'Schweizer Sportnachrichten-Bureau' in 1923 and took the name 'Sportinformation' (Si) in 1924, based on Wehrle's telegram address 'Sportinformat'. It was entered in the commercial register under that name in 1925. The agency focused on the major spectator sports — football, ice hockey, alpine skiing, Formula 1, tennis and athletics — while also reporting on all sports represented in the Swiss Olympic Association at relevant events. It maintained an archive of historical sources and data reaching back to the 19th century. Si grew rapidly from four initial subscribers and by the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz was already supplying news material to eleven foreign agencies. It established a branch in French-speaking Switzerland, first in Neuchâtel and later in Geneva. Over the decades it introduced specialised services (shooting in 1948, aviation in 1951, articles in 1962, motor and traffic in 1969) and adopted successive transmission technologies, from telex (1949) to simultaneous teleprinters (1962), the sda satellite network (1994) and the sda intranet (2004). In 1955 it added television as a major client and launched a telephone sports news service on number 164, which became an important pillar. Ownership evolved from a sole proprietorship to a collective company with an sda majority in 1929, a GmbH in 1940, and an Aktiengesellschaft in 1976 in which sda initially held a majority and from 1986 100% of the share capital. The Wehrle family led the agency until 1986, when Arnold and Walter Wehrle retired and sda took over management. Peter A. Frei became the defining figure of the 1990s and 2000s. At the time of the merger, 28 editors worked in Zurich (20) and Geneva (8), plus two archive and two secretariat staff, all taken over by sda-Sport. On 1 January 2016 Si was integrated as a sports desk into its parent company sda and the company was liquidated; sda's sports desk has since performed Si's tasks in identical fashion.
History
Sportinformation Si was founded in Zurich in 1922 by Arnold Wehrle senior (1899–1975), then an employee of the advertising agency Orell Füssli and an occasional sports news writer, at the age of 23. He was encouraged by Jakob Welti of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, who proposed a distribution centre for sports news. The firm was initially named 'Zürcher Sportnachrichten-Bureau'. In 1923 Wehrle renamed it 'Schweizer Sportnachrichten-Bureau', and in 1924, based on his telegram address 'Sportinformat', it became 'Sportinformation' (Si), entered in the commercial register under that name in 1925. In 1929, following a cooperation agreement with the Schweizerische Depeschenagentur (sda), which until then had covered sports only marginally, the firm was converted into a collective company with an sda majority, and in 1940 into a GmbH. It was quickly successful: starting with four subscribers, it gained more steadily, and by the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz Si was already transmitting news material to eleven foreign agencies. A branch in French-speaking Switzerland was soon established, first in Neuchâtel with Georges Perrin, then in Geneva with Edouard Filliol. Towards the end of the 1930s Si placed itself at the service of the newly founded Sport-Toto company (transmitting live football results to stadiums) and from 1954 served its headquarters. In 1940 it campaigned for a Swiss sports badge and for the founding of the Swiss Institute for Physical Education, which in 1946 entrusted Si with organising the national sports calendar. In the post-war period Si introduced a separate shooting service in 1948, an aviation service in 1951, an articles service in 1962 and a separate motor and traffic service in 1969. From 1949 news was transmitted by telex, from 1962 by simultaneous teleprinter (1968 for customers in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino), from 1994 via the sda satellite network and from 2004 via its intranet. In 1955 television became an important client. In the same year the telephone sports news service on number 164 was introduced, which quickly became an important pillar of the agency; with the technical development of radio and the internet it later lost significance. In 1976 the company was converted into an Aktiengesellschaft, in which sda initially held a majority and from 1986 100% of the share capital. Arnold Wehrle brought his two sons Arnold junior (1924–1991) and Walter (1926–2013) into the firm early; both had to perform courier services as boys. Arnold Wehrle joined the editorial team as an intern in 1942 at the age of 18, then served as sports secretary at the Kurverein St. Moritz from 1945 to 1948 in preparation for the 1948 Winter Olympics before returning to Si. Walter Wehrle junior began his internship in 1946. Arnold was more active in journalism, Walter in administration, until the brothers realised their talents were exactly the opposite. Consequently, after the father's retirement in 1964, Arnold Wehrle became overall director and Walter Wehrle junior editor-in-chief. In mid-1986 (Arnold) and at the end of 1986 (Walter) the Wehrle brothers retired, and sda took over the leadership positions with Theo Zingg as president and Bernard Reist as editor-in-chief and director. In the 1990s and 2000s Peter A. Frei became the defining figure of Si, taking over direction and editor-in-chief in 1993, coming from the trade journal Sport. In 2009 he was elected president of the board of directors and in 2011, after his resignation, honorary president. From the outset Si was a special case, being alongside the German Sport-Informations-Dienst (SID), founded in 1945, the only news agency worldwide focused on sport. On 1 January 2016 Si was integrated as a sports desk into its parent company sda and the company was thereby liquidated. The sports desk of sda has since taken over the tasks of the former Si in identical fashion.
- 2011
Peter A. Frei became honorary president after his resignation.
- 2009
Peter A. Frei elected president of the board of directors.
- 2004
Transmission via the sda intranet.
- 1994
Transmission via the sda satellite network.
- 1993
Peter A. Frei took over direction and editor-in-chief.
- 1986
Wehrle brothers retired; sda took over management and reached 100% of share capital.
- 1976
Converted into an Aktiengesellschaft; sda initially held a majority.
- 1969
Introduced a separate motor and traffic service.
- 1968
Simultaneous teleprinter extended to customers in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino.
- 1964
Arnold Wehrle senior retired; Arnold Wehrle became director and Walter Wehrle junior editor-in-chief.
Products and positioning
Switzerland's national sports news agency, one of the few sports-focused news agencies worldwide alongside Germany's SID.
Sports news wire service
National sports news service covering major spectator sports and all sports in the Swiss Olympic Association.
Telephone sports news service (number 164)
Introduced in 1955, quickly became an important pillar of the agency.
Specialised services
Separate services for shooting (1948), aviation (1951), articles (1962), motor and traffic (1969).
Historical sports archive
Archive with historical sources and data reaching back to the 19th century.
Sources2 sources
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