The Tokyo Olympic Games will need to be saved if the sport goes without spectators

The Tokyo Olympic Games will need to be saved in public for about $ 800m if the games take place at home, as organizers delay the selection of home spectators until the very last minute.

Recent budgets show ready Tokyo 2020 is still considering the full circles. Since we have already spent billions of yen from ticket sales, new revenue from taxpayers is the only way to raise money, according to a study by the Financial Times accounting committee.

With the Japanese government determined to continue playing the game from July 23, the idea of whether they allow local fans in the arenas it has become one of the biggest controversies regarding the Olympic Games.

Speaking at the G7 summit in Cornwall, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, reiterated that Japan is determined to allow observers as much as possible.

“Given the prevalence of Covid-19 infections, we will make a decision [on capacity] depending on how much they are allowed in some games, ”he said.

If spectators are banned outright or partially, Tokyo will be ready to return their tickets once they have been approved Write down the price late play record.

Of the ¥ 668bn ($ 6.1bn) that the organizing committee has budgeted for this year, ¥ 90bn is expected to come from ticket sales, accounting for about half of Tokyo’s revenue for 2020. The rest comes from government funding.

The balance sheet published by Tokyo 2020 last week showed a debt of ¥ 118.3bn on payments previously received. Most of them represent ticket money from Japanese people, who donated their money almost two years ago.

Doctors and health experts have advised Japan to host the Olympics without spectators performing avoid publishing Covid-19, but developers and sponsors are eager to save some fans to get their money back.

Shigeru Omi, senior medical adviser on the epidemic, has urged Japan to refrain from “celebrating” the game. Fans are celebrating and drinking it could lead to a type of risk that could spread the disease, he warned.

“If it happens, then no observer is the only way,” Haruo Ozaki, chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association, told a recent press conference.

Tokyo continues to report 300-400 cases of Covid-19 daily and should remain in an urgent situation to June 20. Olympic organizers have delayed the election of spectators until the end of June, hoping the situation could improve.

The sponsors are eager having an audience since they issued tickets to the biggest events in competitive sports and other promotional events.

“The big issue for sponsors is that they can allow the winners of the customer campaigns that started the game before last year,” said a senior official who is advising several Tokyo 2020 sponsors on how to run the game.

“Many promoters have already benefited from the ticket campaign. If the ticket is canceled, he will face many difficulties. ”

Weekly letter

Papers and a new Financial Times article read every week on the sports business, where you can find a good analysis of the business of clubs, franchises, owners, investors and media groups around the world. Sign in here.