Quaker2001

NBC has a ton of influence. I wouldn't pretend to think otherwise. But it's not as if they're sitting in on these meetings telling the IOC what to do. Again, when Australia is deciding to bid for an Olympics, they're not doing it because NBC is telling them when they want it. And it's not as if they're the only organization that prefers that traditional Summer window. So Australia does what they believe is in their best interests to get votes. And none of those votes actually belong to anyone from NBC. The swimming finals.. again, FINA is making that decision for FINA. They are doing what they feel is in their best interests, not just because NBC wants it. If NBC is so influential, what about gymnastics like they were moved in Beijing (speaking of places were gymnastics has a huge following)? Why not moving the athletics finals? I know NBC asked for it in 2008. And notice how it was 2016 where they started holding finals in the morning sessions, a move specifically for the benefit of European television interests. I'm not downplaying that American television money is a big deal. But at the end of the day, everyone is in it for themselves - the NOC's, the sport federations, and pretty much everyone else associated with the Olympics. They make self-interested decisions. A lot of times, the decision that's best for them is what's best for NBC.

They're free to do what they want. But at the end of the day, it's a popularity contest who wins the right to host these events. And those who vote and make the decisions will usually do so in their own self-interests. So if a country like Australia were to propose to hold the 2032 Olympics in a different month because that's better for them, they may not win the rights to host the event in the first place. So that's how they need to be thinking.

Australia could have chosen to push Melbourne as their bid city since they have more venues and infrastructure in place. But the weather isn't as good there during the Northern Summer, so they are going with Brisbane because they can offer their Olympic bid in the preferred window. Therefore, they stand a better chance of being elected as hosts. At least, that seems to be the line of thinking from the AOC. And they're still bitter about the 2022 FIFA World Cup bid as they say - they're 100% right - that Qatar cheated by proposing to have their World Cup in the Summer with the promise of air-conditioned stadiums. Had they proposed a November-December World Cup from the start, maybe they don't win.

Yes, NBC cannot dictate when the games will be held. And it's not discussed with the IOC when a city is bidding for the Olympics as that city decides what dates they propose to hold the games. However.. bidding for the right to host the Olympics is usually a popularity contest about convincing the autocrats of the IOC to get in bed with you. Looks like the Australians know how to play that game... Queensland in race for 2032 Olympics after state government confirms bid Ms Palaszczuk said the games, which would run from July 23 to August 8 in 2032, would provide legacy benefits for "generations to come". So much for options. NBC money wins out

NBC has little to no control over when the Olympics are held. They don't want to air them against another event, but then again, neither will European countries when there's a major football tournament going on and a tennis major. That's why we're likely to see the Games in approximately the same time window as they would have been in 2020. This also gives the sport federations and the athletes the proper lead up time to prepare for the Games as well

World Athletics will likely follow closely behind.

There was no Paralympics in 1964. So those would get pushed to November. And if we're talking about 2021, then that's way too close to Beijing 2022

There's 25 multi-sports games in 2021? Seriously? That's actually a thing?

Not delusional. They need to work through the legal aspects of this so the IOC doesn't sue them for breach of contract that they couldn't host the Olympics in 2020. They know it's getting postponed. Everyone knows.

Is it too late to change my nation to something a little more neutral than the United States? We're all living through this in the moment. By next summer, no one is going to remember when the Olympics got postponed or who made the decision or who lobbied for it. Pound spoke out to shut up the English-speaking world from making the IOC look bad by saying they won't send athletes this Summer. Yes, I think everything knows the Olympics are getting postponed. Need to re-work all the contracts. Once that happens, the IOC can tell everyone. But if you're looking for evidence of who really runs the IOC, this isn't it.

So is there a reason no one is discussing this right now?... 2020 Tokyo Olympics Will Be Postponed Due to Coronavirus, Says IOC's Dick Pound

That's some of the best and most rational analysis I've seen on this yet. Thank you for sharing! 2021 seems like the most logical option. Moving the Olympics to 2022 puts them in the same calendar year as both the Winter Olympics and the Youth Olympics, not to mention it would displace both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. 2021 therefore is the better solution as they already deal with World Athletics and FINA, so ti inconvenience them is easier than 2 organizations they don't have direct involvement with. Plus that has to be easier for the Tokyo organizers to not have to wait an additional year.

Well, that hits every network. The NFL is in a real bad spot because they just signed off on a new collective bargaining agreement which was supposed to pave the way for massive increase in television rights fees. That's going to be a much tougher negotiation now with the economy in shambles.

I said it upthread.. I don't think NBC has much influence over this decision. They're hurting just like everyone, but right now, this is in the IOC's and the OCOG's hands. Japan wants to put on the best Olympics they can. NBC's rights fees are already locked in. Will certainly be tougher for them to sell advertising in a weaker economy (same thing happened in the lead-up to Vancouver 2010), but little they can do about that

It'll probably hurt Japan more than it hurts the IOC. Might hurt China as well, but somehow, I think they'll figure out a way to survive

Hot off the presses..

Cowardly, yes. Corrupt? Not necessarily because of this. Bach hasn't done the best job of expressing to the world the intentions of the IOC. I think everyone involved knows that postponement is inevitable, but it takes time to get everyone on board to make sure that's followed through properly for all interested parties. With all due respect to Canada, they're one nation out of 200+ (I will say the exact same thing about the United States who has also been chirping). I think the back breaker was Seb Coe. When he's saying to move to postpone the Olympics as head of the most prominent sports federation involved in the Games, that carries a lot of weight.

I don't want to speculate because I don't exactly trust the leadership of this country to know what the hell they're doing and to be able to help manage the situation. As for Japan.. this crept up on them pretty fast, but I think reality is finally setting in that they have to make this work. Although I'm betting they'll be cursing out the Chinese plenty for unleashing this plague on the world and then screwing up their best laid plans.

At this point, I'm already working under the assumption that there will be no Olympics in 2020 and the 4 week timetable is merely to decide when they will be postponed until. So that's necessarily a bombshell. Goes along with everything that's being reported and what I'm reading on Twitter

Didn't your parents ever tell you that sharing is caring?

Did you miss that the IOC put out a statement?... HEALTH AND SAFETY PARAMOUNT AS IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD AGREES TO STEP UP SCENARIO-PLANNING FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 And even more recently.. World Athletics call on IOC to postpone Tokyo 2020 because of coronavirus crisis

Want to share where you're hearing that?

It's currently the middle of the night in Japan. Wonder about the timing of such an announcement, if it comes from Japan or from IOC headquarters in Lausanne

Good read from Inside the Games on what the IOC is dealing with these days.. Michael Pavitt: IOC must act responsibly for Japan as well as athletes over potential Tokyo postponement