The event has had to reschedule due to the coronavirus pandemic
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games has confirmed that it will run from 23 July until 8 August, 2021.
Despite the move to next year, the organisers have decided to keep the 2020 name. The Games has had to be moved due to the coronavirus pandemic – which has seen countries worldwide lockdown their populations in quarantine.
This means that athletes, fans, and broadcasters, among others, can begin plans for the competition. Discovery, the owner of Eurosport – which shows coverage of the Olympics in Europe, has already put out a statement reacting to the news:
We are pleased that the IOC and Tokyo 2020 have acted swiftly to reschedule the Games and provide certainty for stakeholders, especially for athletes, fans and brand partners. We look forward to an incredible summer of sport in 2021.
The confirmed dates may now put pressure on other competitions to do the same. The men’s European Championships has also moved to 2021, and women’s event planned for that year with a tough decision to make on where to move its own tournament.
Broadcasters may be happy to have dates confirmed for Tokyo 2020, but this does not help them with their schedules this summer. With most sports events postponed, the companies that had planned to show coverage have had to turn to original content, archive footage, and esports in the meantime.