In an inevitable move that has been greeted with reluctant acceptance by both sporting and broadcasting communities, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has pushed back this year’s Tokyo games until next year.
In a joint conference call discussing the constantly changing environment with regard to Covid-19 and the Tokyo games, IOC president Thomas Bach and Japan’s prime minister Abe Shinzo concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world es and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. It was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
From a broadcasting perspective, Discovery Inc., which holds TV and multiplatform broadcast rights in Europe for the 2018-2024 Olympic Games, showed its support for the decision.
In a statement the company said: “Discovery fully supports the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee’s plan to stage the Olympic Games in 2021 and to make every effort to ensure the well-being of spectators, athletes, staff and the international community. Our essential planning and deliverables are complete and will now shift into next year. We will continue to develop our products and offerings to best serve our customers and marketing partners in 2021.”
