The IOC is one of the world’s most venerated brands, and an investigation opened in 2015 by Vestager, the European commissioner for competition, into the Olympic-affiliated International Skating Union (ISU) is set to limit the rights of sporting federations to manage their sports and brands. Vestager is expected to reach a verdict, which could include fines, by the end of this year.
IOC President Thomas Bach was in Brussels this week — becoming the first person in his position to address the EU’s national ministers — and told POLITICO’s EU Confidential podcast that sports bodies should not be treated like businesses. [...]
Bach said the Olympic movement pumps about a billion euros a year back into grassroots sports — “it’s €3 million per day.” For this reason, he wants EU regulators to look past the multi-billion euro broadcast rights deals the IOC benefits from to see a social movement rather than a business.
EU competition regulators agree that sports have an important social role and say they don’t want to get involved in sporting decisions. But they point out that many sports bodies are also businesses too — so any bans on athletes should be proportionate.
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