The International Olympics Committee will have collected around $2.5 billion from broadcasters in the three years leading up to this year“s Games in Beijing, according to Reuters. The total doesn“t include another $866 million the IOC is expected to sweep up from sponsors, tickets and licensed programs. Another $1 billion is expected to come from local contracts in China for the 2008 Summer Games.
The estimate exceeds the broadcast rights revenue yielded by the 2006 World Cup, which came to more than $1.6 billion, not including $714 million in marketing rights income.
Upcoming Games in Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012 are expected to generate $3.3 billion in rights revenue for both broadcast and new media.
