Abolition of Rule 40 Will Help Athletes Competing in the Olympics, but It Will Require a Collective Effort for a Complete Victory

This article was originally published in the Sports Litigation Alert, Volume 16 Issue 15. Reprinted with permission. Any opinions in this article are not those of Winston & Strawn or its clients. The opinions in this article are the author’s opinions only. 

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics is reported to have raised $3.1bn in sponsorship from Japanese firms alone, but Peter Crowther believes that the competitors are missing out on the financial rewards. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has historically sought to protect its advertising revenue through the use of Rule 40 by-law paragraph 3 of the IOC charter.

Peter, managing partner of Winston & Strawn’s London Office and a non-executive Director of the British Athletes Commission, sets out his thoughts on how the abolition of Rule 40 would help Olympic athletes reap the rewards of their success. However, it would require a collective effort for a complete victory.

To read more about the abolition of IOC Rule 40 read the full Sports Litigation Alert article here.