Governing Bodies
Why are the Olympics still happening? These numbers explain it
The Olympic Games have always been about numbers. After all, a motto of Citius, Altius, Fortius – faster, higher, stronger – doesn’t mean much without seconds, meters and pounds. How fast? How high? How strong?
For more than a year, though, a different set of numbers has come to dominate discussions about the Tokyo Games: rising coronavirus case counts, escalating risk factors, inadequate vaccination totals.
Despite those concerns, the games are almost certain to go forward this summer: The latest evidence was the announcement Monday that domestic spectators would be allowed to attend Olympic events at reduced capacities.
These numbers may help explain why – a month before the opening ceremony – the games are still a go.
US$15.4 billion (S$20.7 billion)
If Tokyo’s new national stadium stands empty on the night of the opening ceremony, that will be US$15.4 billion in investment mostly down the drain. The figure, a record even for famously oversized Olympic budgets, has swelled US$3 billion in the past year alone. The reputational damage to Japan, though, on top of the loss of money, would be incalculable.
“This was the branding exercise that was going to showcase the lifestyle superpower of the Earth,” said Jesper Koll, an investment adviser who has lived in Japan for more than three decades. “At the end of the day, it is not about whether the construction costs are recouped or not, but it is about whether the brand of the country gets a boost.”
Much of the upside that Tokyo hoteliers or restaurants could have expected from hosting the games has already evaporated, as organisers banned international spectators in March.
And even the Olympic visitors who will be allowed to enter Japan will not get to experience most of Tokyo’s charms because the rules restrict them to Olympic venues.
US$4 billion
That’s the potential amount of television rights income that the International Olympic Committee, which organises and runs the games, could have to refund if the Olympics are not held. The figure accounts for 73 per cent of the IOC’s revenue. Sponsorships related to the games account for hundreds of millions of dollars more, and a cancellation would mean those companies could come looking for rebates, too.
US$1.25 billion
The US broadcasting rights to the Summer Olympics are among the most valuable sports properties in the world, and the advertising revenue they produce regularly makes them among the most profitable, too.
In March 2020, NBC Universal, which holds the US broadcast rights to the games, announced it had sold US$1.25 billion in national advertising for the Tokyo Olympics. That exceeded the amount sold for the 2016 Rio Olympics, which had generated US$1.62 billion in total revenue for the company and US$250 million in profits.
And not even a year’s delay may hurt NBC’s bottom line. Jeff Shell, the chief executive of NBC Universal, told an investor conference last week that, depending upon ratings, the Tokyo Olympics “could be our most profitable Olympics in the history of the company.”
US$549 million
The word “solidarity” comes up 406 times in the IOC’s latest annual report. The most significant reference is to the US$549 million it distributes in so-called solidarity and other payments to national Olympic committees large and small. (The IOC’s accounts do not provide a breakdown of who gets what).
To many Olympic committees, the IOC’s largesse – which pays for everything from administrative costs to training subsidies to youth development programs – is a vital financial lifeline.
In the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, for example, IOC funding represents around a quarter of the national Olympic committee’s US$600,000 annual income, according to Richard Peterkin, a former IOC member.
But larger countries count on the money, too. Earlier this year, the British Olympic Association raised the prospect of a financial meltdown in its annual report if this summer’s games were cancelled.
“Cancellation of the games later than May 2021,” its directors concluded recently, “would create a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
15,500
The postponement of the Olympics forced thousands of the athletes – about 11,100 for the Olympics and 4,400 for the Paralympics, together representing more than 200 countries – to put their lives on hold for a year. To recommit to another 12 months of training. To delay marriage plans and college enrolments and even plans to have children. So it is no surprise that, by and large, competitors worldwide are eager for the games to finally take place.
“My next chapter was supposed to be happening already,” said Delante Johnson, 22, a boxer from Cleveland who had aimed to turn professional in 2021. He decided to keep his amateur status for another year, in part, to fulfil a promise he had made to his former coach, Clint Martin, who died in 2015.
“He always told me I’d go to the Olympics,” Johnson said, “and I’m holding on to what he said.”
For Olympians who have arranged their entire lives to chase their dreams, the games are everything. They can open the door to sponsorship opportunities, to bonus money for medals, to post-competition careers. For many, they also offer the rare chance to perform in front of a global audience.
“We’re finally allowed to have that excitement, and I’m just giddy,” said Kaleigh Gilchrist, 29, a water polo player from Newport Beach, California. “We can finally showcase all the hard work we’ve put in.”
37 per cent
That’s the current favourability rating for Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, who may fear his political fortunes are now tied too closely to the games to cancel them. “Politically he’s dead in the water if he pulls the plug,” said Jeff Kingston, the director of Asian studies at Temple University in Tokyo.
With national elections looming in September, Kingston said, Suga may now see the Olympics as a potential lifeline.
For Suga and his government, staging a successful – and safe – Olympics would offer a huge political upside. The downside, of course, is the risk of a public health disaster that costs lives and pummels Japan’s economy. That would inflict damage far more serious than just harming Suga’s personal political reputation.
“This is the potential making of the Godzilla variant,” Kingston said. “Is that how Tokyo wants to be remembered?”
-New York Times
The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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