FINA Receives $8M Less TV Revenue Than Initially Expected From Tokyo Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) distributed $540 million of Tokyo Games television revenue, $50 million less than what international sports federations were reportedly expecting before the COVID-19 pandemic.

FINA was one of three Group A federations along with World Athletics and FIG (gymnastics) that were initially told they’d receive $40 million each in television revenue from the Tokyo Olympics, according to German journalist Jens Weinreich. The COVID-19 pandemic presumably cut into those projections, leaving FINA with a $31.36 million payout — about $8 million less than expected. FIG got the same amount as FINA, while World Athletics earned close to the initial projection ($39.48 million). 

Federations were divided into five tiers based on popularity for both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. The details of the revenue distribution system were established by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) instead of the IOC. However, the IOC does decide how much total television revenue gets split up according to an internal ASOIF agreement. 

Members of Group B — FIBA (basketball), FIFA (football), FIVB (volleyball), the International Tennis Federation, and the Union Cycliste Internationale — received $24.45 million each, exactly $1.5 million less than expected. 

Group C included BWF (badminton), World Rowing, the International Judo Federation, ISSF (shooting), ITTF (table tennis), IWF (weightlifting), World Archery, and boxing (AIBA/IBA). Those federations received $17.31 million each — $1.29 million less than expected — although the IBA’s funds were withheld due to a suspension it was serving in Tokyo. 

Group D was made up of FEI (equestrian), FIE (fencing), FIH (hockey), the International Canoe Federation, IHF (handball), World Triathlon, United World Wrestling, World Sailing, and World Taekwondo. They were dealt $15.14 million each, slightly more than $1 million less under the initial estimate. 

There were only three federations in Group E — UIPM (modern pentathlon), International Golf Federation, and World Rugby — that received $15.14 million each, also just over $1 million less than expected. 

The numbers seem to show that FINA and FIG were hit the hardest of any federation by the reduced television revenue. Although they still got more than $31 million each, it was still 20% less than they had likely budgeted for a few years ago. According to Weinreich, who looked at more than 100 annual reports from before the COVID-19 pandemic, FIG generally relies on IOC funds for at least a third of its budget compared to around 25% for FINA. 

National Olympic Committees will receive the same total amount as international federations ($540.29 million) through the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity program.