Losers, Winners in IOC Revenue Plan for Rio 2016

(ATR) Equestrian, handball, hockey and modern pentathlon are the biggest losers in a new revenue-sharing formula for the Rio 2016 Olympics devised by the IOC Executive Board.

The EB revised the composition of summer federations in the five groups that are used to distribute revenue from the Olympics. The EB met early Wednesday morning to approve the new formula, literally an hour before releasing it at a joint meeting with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.

ASOIF president Francesco Ricci-Bitti tells ATR that the changes are meant "to recognize the contribution a sport makes to the Olympics".

The international swimming and gymnastics federations were promoted into the top category alongside the IAAF, which was previously alone in Group A and received the biggest handout in revenues of any summer Olympic federation.

But equestrian, handball, hockey and modern pentathlon dropped a group, the latter sport into the bottom category, and are set to receive less money from Rio 2016 compared to London 2012.

"IAAF will get less money than it has in the past," Andrew Ryan, director of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) confirmed to reporters Wednesday.

Other federations who can expect more cash from the next Games are table tennis, badminton, boxing, judo, archery, shooting and weightlifting who were all moved up a group. "They will get a higher amount," he said.

ASOIF is now tasked with working out a system to fairly distribute the Rio 2016 revenues among its members, a process that is expected to take up to a year.

Previously, each federation got the same amount according to the group in which it was placed.

For London 2012, around $525 million in revenues is being distributed – that’s a 75 percent increase on the $296 million generated from Beijing 2008. The final tranche of revenues is due to be with the federations within the month.

The IAAF received about $40 million, Group B federations $22 million apiece, with $16 million going to each Group C member and $14 million each to Group E sports.

With rugby and golf untried at the Olympics, they have been put in a newly created Group E along with modern pentathlon, which won the two-sport fight with wrestling to stay in the Olympics. The EB recommended wrestling be dropped from the 25 core sports at its February meeting.

Ryan said it was yet to be determined if the IAAF, swimming and gymnastics would each get the same amount from Rio 2016 as was the group revenue-sharing formula for London 2012.

"We haven’t yet proposed a system. What we will do is the detailed analysis and figures behind it and make a proposal. There is nothing to stop [ASOIF] council and members not making it equal in the groups," he said.

Ryan admitted that the groups were "very important" in the revenue sharing from Rio 2016 but not the only factor.

"This is a part of the calculation. It doesn’t define what money they get. We will work on a number of possible models," he said, adding that one or several models would be proposed to the general assembly meeting at SportAccord in Turkey next year.

With the IOC securing TV deals and sponsorships through Rio 2016 and beyond, Ryan confirmed there would "not be a substantial uplift on London… because contracts are done."

Revenue Groups for Rio 2016

Group A: athletics, gymnastics, swimming

Group B: basketball, cycling, football, tennis and volleyball.

Group C: archery, badminton, boxing, judo, rowing, shooting, table tennis and weightlifting.

Group D: canoe/kayaking, equestrian, fencing, handball, field hockey, sailing, taekwondo, triathlon and wrestling.

Group E; modern pentathlon, golf and rugby

Hockey "Disappointed"

International Hockey Federation CEO Kelly Fairweather told ATR that it was difficult to gauge the revenue impact on the FIH of hockey’s relegation to Group D.

"It’s fair to say we are disappointed," he said. "But the calculations and agreement [with ASOIF members] on revenues has to be finalized. It will be an interesting decision."

Fairweather said the IOC criteria used to assess the groups that will be applied to Rio 2016 would serve as a wake-up call to the FIH.

"We must do something about it, increase our TV ratings, our presence in the digital space and the overall popularity of the sport around the world.

"The ball is really in our court."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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