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OLY-2020-JAPAN-SPONSORS
Two-thirds of sponsors unsure about 2021 Olympics: poll
TOKYO, June 12, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Two-thirds of Tokyo 2020’s
corporate sponsors are undecided on whether to continue supporting the
Games now the event has been pushed to 2021, according to a new
survey.
In the poll published late Thursday by Japanese public broadcaster
NHK, 65 percent of the sponsors surveyed said they had not made up
their minds about whether to extend their financial backing for
another year.
According to NHK, some companies voiced concerns that their
promotional activities around the Games could be curtailed due to
crowd-reduction measures imposed against the coronavirus.
They were also worried the Games could be scrapped altogether, with
several senior Olympic officials saying the Tokyo Olympics must take
place next year or not at all.
Many also said they had not decided whether to extend their
sponsorship because they had not yet opened negotiations with the
organisers — suggesting they may be open to persuasion.
Tokyo CEO Toshiro Muto revealed later Friday that the organising
committee had not contacted the sponsors due to the coronavirus state
of emergency that was declared in Japan just after the Games were
postponed in late March.
However, he sought to ease their concerns that the Games would not
take place.
“I don’t think there is anyone who can really promise that the
Olympics and Paralympics will be held in 2021 for sure — 100 percent
in any circumstance,” he admitted.
But he stressed that the sponsors should be assured of the
“commitment and dedication” from the organising committee to “somehow
holding the Olympics.”
More than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents said coronavirus
had taken a toll on their own financial situation, as Olympic
organisers face having to fund the unprecedented postponement of the
Games.
– ‘Gold sponsors’ –
Muto again refused to put a price tag on the additional costs of
postponing the Games by one year, but the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) has set aside $800 million.
According to the latest budget, the Games were due to cost $12.6
billion, shared between the organising committee, the government of
Japan and Tokyo city.
Tokyo 2020 “Gold” sponsors include such Japanese household names as
Canon, NEC and Asahi Breweries, while car giant Toyota is a worldwide
Olympic sponsor.
According to the latest version of the Tokyo 2020 budget, local
sponsorship was due to bring in $3.3 billion, more than half the
projected revenues of $5.9 billion.
Since the postponement, officials have been stressing the need to
slim down the Games, both in terms of costs and organisation.
IOC President Thomas Bach told AFP in an interview this week they
were searching for ways to “simplify the organisation of the Games,
how we can reduce the complexity of the Games, how we can save costs
for these postponed Games”.
Muto said there were 200 proposals on the table for simplifying the
Olympics, but again refused to give further details.
For its survey, NHK surveyed 78 Olympic and Paralympic sponsors,
receiving responses from 57.
Muto also announced on Friday that 80 percent of venues had been
secured for the postponed Games and negotiations were ongoing for the
rest, including the Athletes’ Village and the proposed site for the
media.
He refused to say which venues were still under negotiation.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1900hrs