TOKYO • Two-thirds of Tokyo 2020's corporate sponsors are undecided on whether to continue supporting the Olympic Games now that the event has been pushed back to next year, according to a new survey.
In a poll published late on Thursday by Japanese public broadcaster NHK, 65 per cent of the sponsors surveyed said they had not made up their minds on extending their financial backing for another year.
Some companies voiced concerns that their promotional activities around the Games could be curtailed due to crowd-reduction measures imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
They are also worried the Games may still be scrapped, even though the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 organisers have insisted they are only looking to "simplify" the world's foremost sporting event to trim costs.
There is no room for another postponement, as the Japanese government and Olympic officials have said the Games must take place next year or not at all.
More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of respondents revealed that the crisis had taken a toll on their finances, as Olympic organisers face having to fund the unprecedented delay of the Games, now set to start on July 23 next year.
The organisers have refused to put a price tag on the additional cost - estimated to be billions of dollars and largely borne by Japanese taxpayers - but the IOC has set aside US$800 million (S$1.1 billion).
According to the latest budget, the Games were due to cost US$12.6 billion, shared between the organising committee, the Japanese government and the host city.
Tokyo 2020 "Gold" sponsors include Japanese multinational corporations Canon, NEC and Asahi Breweries, while Toyota is a worldwide Olympic sponsor.
In the latest version of the Tokyo 2020 budget, local sponsorship was due to bring in US$3.3 billion, more than half the projected revenue of US$5.9 billion.
For its survey, NHK surveyed 78 Olympic and Paralympic sponsors, receiving responses from 57.
The organisers yesterday announced that 80 per cent of the venues required to run a successful Olympics had been secured, including the National Stadium, which is set to host the opening and closing ceremonies. In the original plan, 43 venues, including eight new purpose-built sites, had been set aside.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
