U.S. Revenue-Sharing Talks Accelerating; IOC Stays Out of London Stadium Bid Battle

(ATR) IOC president Jacques Rogge says he expects a new revenue-sharing agreement to be hammered out with U.S. Olympic Committee leaders quicker than originally envisaged.

USOC chairman Larry Probst and chief executive Scott Blackmun met IOC officials in Lausanne Tuesday. Talks are focusing a deal covering the split of sponsorship and television money.

At the Denver SportAccord in 2009, the IOC announced that it hoped to come to a settlement for a new revenue-sharing formula in 2013, which would take effect in 2020.

"The USOC themselves have asked us to accelerate [talks]," Rogge told a press briefing today wrapping up two days of Executive Board meetings.

"Discussions were very constructive. Both parties decided to continue to work at a fast track. I can't guarantee you a deadline, it is far too soon," he said.

"We will continue to discuss it in a couple of weeks. I expect this to be solved much faster than originally anticipated.

"I can say with great satisfaction that discussions are going well."

Probst and Blackmun are keen to build the international relationships they have forged in the past 12 months ahead of a possible Olympic bid.

Last September, the USOC and IOC struck an agreement on a significant financial contribution from the US to resolve the Games' costs issue. Games costs are the fees paid by NOCs to help pay for the Olympics.

The USOC and IOC have been under pressure for several years to increase the amount paid by the U.S., along with a reduction in the share of IOC marketing revenues received by the U.S.

The USOC receives 20 percent of IOC marketing revenues, 12.75 percent of broadcast revenues in a deal that was struck about 20 years ago. The size of the U.S. share was said to be one of the issues that turned away IOC members from voting for Chicago in the race for the 2016 Olympics.

Progress on U.S. TV Rights Package

Commenting on negotiations for U.S. TV rights, Rogge said no decision had been made on whether the IOC would sell the package for four Olympics instead of the usual two.

"But we keep all our options open. There will be a meeting with potential bidding companies in the U.S pretty soon and to discuss with them and hear a little bit about what want, how they see the future of the market."

The IOC chief said a decision would then be made on the tender process and the format for packaging the rights before negotiations with U.S. broadcasters get underway.

The bidding war is expected between NBC, ESPN, Fox and perhaps a CBS/Turner coalition. The networks may be interested in an agreement that would include the 2014 through 2020 Olympics. The cost of an expanded rights package could reach upwards of $4 billion.

IOC Keeps Out of 2012 Stadium Legacy Debate

Rogge also gave his view on the bidding saga to take control of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

Yesterday, English Premiership club Tottenham Hotspur announced plans to knock down most of the 80,000-seat stadium under its radical bid. The proposals also call for the club to underwrite the redevelopment of the Crystal Palace athletics stadium in south London.

Rival bidder West Ham says it would retain the track, which would ensure London's promise to the IOC in 2005 to leave an athletics stadium legacy was fulfilled.

"I know it is a hotly debated topic. The position of the IOC is a very clear one. This is not our business," he said.

"The IOC has absolutely no say on what's going to happen with the London stadium."

He added: "We would favor, but as outsiders, a solution where there would be a track legacy. But the decision is in the hands of the Olympic Park Legacy Company together with UK Athletics and LOCOG.

"We would respect that decision. Having said that if a solution could be found for the track we will be happy. But don't expect the IOC to intervene forcefully in any way in an issue for which we are not responsible."

A decision on a preferred bidder will be made by the Olympic Park Legacy Company by Jan. 28.

Frank Fredericks, chair of the IOC Athlete's Commission, told reporters in Lausanne Wednesday that he was behind West Ham's bid plan to retain the track.

Change to the 2020 Bidding Process

Rogge also spoke about a key development for the 2020 Olympics bidding contest that opens soon after the selection of the 2018 Winter Olympic host city in Durban in July.

The IOC has responded to concerns expressed by the Doha bid in the race for the 2016 Olympics by calling on NOCs to submit proposed dates for the Games, if cities want to host them outside the normal period set by the IOC (July 15 and August 31).

/>Doha failed to be make the shortlist of 2016 candidate cities mainly because of its plans to stage the Games in October, rather than the traditional July/August dates sought by the IOC.

Rogge noted the issues with Doha and also remarked that interest for 2020 had come from countries with similar heat problems to the Gulf state's capital city.

"We have been approached by potential candidates who would want to organize the Olympic Games for which the bracket of end of July and beginning of August is not suitable," Rogge said.

Dubai, one of the cities thought to be readying a 2020 bid, may be one bidder proposing dates outside the normal schedule due to its fierce summer temperatures. The IOC chief said the July-August format may also not fit cities in the southern hemisphere.

"We wanted to have the possibility for those cities to make a submission to the IOC in due time, seven years before organising the Games and then the IOC would consider if the dates and climactic conditions would be a problem or not," he explained.

"This is something we wanted to do before engaging the cities in a long candidature and not having that as a decision at the end."

NOCs seeking to stage the Games outside the usual schedule for a summer Games are being asked to submit their proposals by July 29. The IOC will respond to them by the end of August.

Rogge Fine with Annecy 2018 Leadership

The IOC president suggested Annecy's struggling bid for the 2018 Games had stabilized after a rocky month. Edgar Grospiron quit as CEO in December following budgetary concerns.

His replacement, Charles Beigbeder, was only appointed this week.

"There have been changes, a new CEO and the committee is being reformed and they are engaging in the bidding process. I think they have recovered well from the interruption due to the resignation of Mr Grospiron," said Rogge.

Withreporting from Mark Bisson in Lausanne

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