A Tokyo 2016 Olympic Games would generate the greatest prime-time TV audience in Olympic history according to the Bid’s Deputy Director General, Hidetoshi Maki.
Maki, speaking at the ISPO SpoBis global conference, said that a Tokyo Games would draw from the 3 billion consumers within a 3 hour time zone, meaning prime time broadcasts for a Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games would cover the hundreds of millions of newly emerging affluent Asians over the next decade.
Maki pointed out that this would provide the Olympic Movement with unprecedented opportunities to engage with new mass markets for the sport industry - generating economic benefits on a global scale.
Maki said: “When you look at sponsor brand names, you can see that many Japanese companies support football, athletics and swimming. This reflects how much Japanese people love sports.
“Hosting the Games on the world's finest stage creates the best environment for inspirational performances and heroic achievements. These accomplishments, and the way people all around the world identify with them, is, I believe, the basis of the sport business, and where opportunities lie.”
The speech also saw Hidetoshi Maki take delegates through the characteristics that make Tokyo the perfect host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games from a sports marketing perspective. As one of the world’s most populous urban centres, and with the biggest GDP, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area is home to a sports-loving, brand conscious population able to respond to industry initiatives.
Recent intelligence sourced from SponsorMetrix, ZenethOptimedia and ABU has noted that “while Tokyo and Japan offer highly attractive markets in themselves, Tokyo’s geographic location provides great opportunity to the IOC to reach Asia’s large and rapidly growing population. With almost three quarters of a billion TV homes and a potential TV audience of three billion in the 57 nations within the
Asian Broadcasting Union, a Tokyo Games has the potential to provide to the Olympic Movement its largest prime time audience ever.
“Asia’s TV audience is not only large; it consists of Asia’s newly affluent young consumers who are highly receptive to new trends, products and brands.”
Maki’s speech also highlighted the economic strength of Tokyo's bid as the world enters a global recession. 23 out of 34 venues already exist, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Govt will have already allocated $4 bn for Olympic projects by the end of 2009.
Additionally, as a futuristic city long synonymous with innovation and technological advancement, Japan’s vibrant capital is the perfect place to introduce new products and services. Hidetoshi Maki
added that Tokyo’s position as a gateway to Asia brings the sports marketing industry access to the fastest-developing continent on earth, and potentially the largest ever TV viewing audience for an Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016.
Dr Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016, said: “Tokyo 2016 is committed to setting the finest Olympic and Paralympic stage through an innovative and ultra-compact Games concept. This will bring unprecedented economic, sporting and social opportunities to millions of people in Tokyo, Japan and beyond.”
The Tokyo 2016 Games vision places 95% of competition venues within 8km of the main Olympic stadium in central Tokyo, providing an average travel time of just 17 minutes for competitors. With 23
of 34 necessary venues already built, the financial sustainability of Tokyo 2016 reinforces its attractiveness to investors. Placing the Games in the midst of 35 million passionate sports fans will help to ensure full stadiums and a festive, welcoming atmosphere for international visitors.
