Money, Scandal and the IOC

Guest: Robert Barney, PhD, Founder of the International Centre for Olympic Studies at Western University, and Professor Emeritus of Kinesiology, Western University The Olympics is big business. NBC news, for example, has paid nearly $8 billion for the exclusive right to broadcast the games through 2028. Cities looking to be the next Rio or PyeongChang spend millions of dollars just to win the Olympic bid – and billions more getting ready to host the games.  The power to make a host city’s dreams come true lies with the International Olympic Committee, which has struggled for decades with the corruptibility that always seems to follow money and power.  How has the Olympic brand survived its many scandals? And will cities continue to line up for the costly privilege of hosting an Olympic Games?