As fans, athletes and officials await the final moments of the countdown to the Rio Olympics, the event’s key sponsors are also looking on expectantly. The quadrennial event is not just the world’s largest such activity in sporting terms; it also attracts record sponsorship amounts every time.
The amounts involved at the very top are often stratospheric in nature. For instance, spots at the Olympic Partners (TOP) program, featuring the crème de la crème of sponsors have gone for nearly $200 million at the current edition. Naturally, sponsors look on with bated breath to see whether the campaigns they are betting on are delivering the necessary buzz.
Rio Battles Controversies
Every edition of the Olympics has been marred by a range of controversies However, Rio has been an exception, since troubles have dogged it from the very beginning. Construction of various facilities was running behind schedule for quite some time.
Attention then shifted to the Zika virus threat, with several key contestants withdrawing for fear of contracting the disease. Following this, the economy of Brazil slumped, and political instability continued until recently. However, now that the Olympics are about to begin, focus has shifted to the teams and participants who are already in Rio.
Focus Shifts to the Positives
Players are feeling enthused by the tropical surroundings. Additionally, several officials who have traveled to Rio during the preparations stage reported that they have not encountered many of the problems that were being talked about.
Additionally, this is not the first time that the city has hosted an event of a similar scale. Events which saw successful completion at this venue include the 2014 soccer world cup. Besides, there is the annual carnival which attracts nearly a million tourists on every occasion. TripAdvisor (TRPÂ -Â Snapshot Report) still puts Rio at the third place on its list of leading destinations for South America for this year.
