SEOUL, April 5 - International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge
has pledged more funds for National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to coincide with
an expected rise in sponsor and broadcasting revenues.
During their association meeting over the past three days, NOCs had
complained that insufficient funds were being made available through the IOC's
lead sponsors programme worth several billion dollars.
However, Rogge said on Wednesday the financial outlook until the London 2012
Summer Olympics was good and he would inform his executive board to hike the
contributions to the poorer NOCs by 20 percent.
He said television rights for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2012
Games had so far brought in $2.9 billion, with deals struck for the United
States, Canada and Europe excluding Italy.
He expected the final figure to reach about $3.3 billion.
"We are assured the Top VII (sponsors programme) will also be a great
success," Rogge said referring to the IOC's major international sponsorship
programme for the 2010 and 2012 Games.
SEALED DEALS
The IOC had already sealed deals with six out of 11 sponsors, Rogge said.
He said television audience ratings were also on the rise, with February's
Turin Games recording an estimated 20 percent increase from the previous Winter
Olympics.
"The Torino figures are excellent. The Olympic Games like the (soccer) World
Cup are the most viewed events in the world," he said.
"It needs something exceptional to have a better audience like the landing on
the moon, the death of a Pope or the election of a new Pope."
But he warned it was necessary to assure future Games were successful if the
IOC was to continue boosting its revenues.