This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
Published on June 12, 2020, a new survey by Japanese public broadcaster NHK found that two-thirds of Tokyo 2020's corporate sponsors are undecided on whether to continue supporting the Games now the event has been pushed to 2021.
According to the poll, 65 percent of the sponsors surveyed said they had not made up their minds about whether to extend 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 against the coronavirus, while others worried the Games could be scrapped altogether.
Tokyo CEO Toshiro Muto revealed that the organising committee had not contacted the sponsors due to the coronavirus state of emergency declared in Japan in late March.
However, he sought to ease their concerns that the Games would not take place, stressing the commitment and dedication of the organising committee to 'somehow holding the Olympics.'
More than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents said coronavirus had taken a toll on their own financial situation, as Olympic organisers face having to fund the unprecedented postponement of the Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set aside $800 million to cover the additional costs of postponing the Games by one year, on top of the original budget of $12.6 billion.
