Funding
How the IOC is funded
The IOC is a non-profit association committed to leading the Olympic Movement and making a positive contribution to the world through sport. Its operations are based on four-year periods called Olympiads, during which the Olympic Games, the Olympic Winter Games and the summer and winter Youth Olympic Games are held.
The IOC is entirely privately funded. Its strong financial foundation is driven by its partnerships with Media Rights-Holders (MRHs) and Worldwide Olympic Partners (TOPs), which provide sustainable revenue streams to ensure the independent financial stability of the Olympic Movement.
The IOC redistributes its revenues for the benefit of athletes and global sport via the Olympic Movement stakeholders (Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, International Federations and National Olympic Committees/Olympic Solidarity) and IOC-recognised organisations (WADA, ITA and ICAS), among others. In addition, it supports the International Paralympic Committee. The IOC’s own operating expenses are dedicated to achieving its mission of staging the Olympic Games and supporting sport around the world.
The IOC strives to demonstrate good governance in all its practices, including its financial operations. This includes the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which the IOC applies to help it to achieve greater transparency, comparability and quality in its financial statements, despite being under no obligation to do so. The IOC publishes its annual audited financial statements and has robust processes in place to monitor revenue distribution.
IOC contributions to the Olympic Movement to support athletes
Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Movement, and so supporting athletes is a key focus of the IOC’s revenue distribution programmes. The IOC supports athletes through direct contributions to Olympic Movement stakeholders, by staging the Olympic Games, by promoting the worldwide development of sport, and through specific athlete-focused activities, projects and programmes.
Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs)
The IOC supports the staging of the Olympic Games through direct contributions to OCOGs (a share of media rights and TOP Programme marketing rights); by taking on costs previously borne by the OCOGs, such as broadcast operations and digital engagement; and through other forms of Games support. The OCOGs raise additional revenue from domestic commercial activities facilitated by their authorised use of the Olympic marks.
Youth Olympic Games Organising Committees (YOGOCs)
IOC contributions support the staging of summer and winter editions of the Youth Olympic Games, a more recent Olympic tradition that engages young people through sport, education and cultural programmes.
Olympic Solidarity and National Olympic Committees (OS and NOCs)
The IOC distributes revenue to each of the 206 NOCs to train and develop their Olympic hopefuls, athletes and teams. The IOC also contributes revenue to Olympic Solidarity, an autonomous commission that distributes revenue to NOCs.
Following the success of the Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016, the IOC launched a Refugee Athlete Support programme, which provides NOCs with resources to support a number of refugee athletes living in their countries, to enable them to prepare for and take part in international competitions.
International Federations (IFs)
The IOC provides revenue to the IFs to support the development of their athletes and their sport worldwide. These funds are distributed after the end of the Games in which the IF is active.
IOC-recognised Organisations and Federations
The IOC contributes to recognised international organisations, including the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Anti-doping agencies
The IOC is committed to protecting clean athletes. Substantial investment is made in the anti-doping ecosystem, with 50 per cent of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s funding coming directly from the IOC, while the other 50 per cent comes from various national governments. The IOC also invests in the International Testing Agency (ITA), to support the independence and sustainability of anti-doping operations.
Athlete support takes many forms
Supporting athletes lies at the very heart of the Olympic Movement. This support is especially apparent during the Olympic Games, and finds expression in the whole Games-time experience for athletes, from the Olympic Village to athlete travel grants and the support that athletes receive throughout the 17 days of competition. Beyond the Games, the IOC’s funds are also used to finance the network of athletes’ commissions across the globe, which promote athlete empowerment and provide athletes with a platform.
Fit for the Future Olympian Grant
In June 2026, the IOC announced the creation of a new “Fit for the Future Olympian Grant”. Under this programme, every athlete at the Olympic Games will be eligible for a USD 10,000 grant to support their sports career or career transition. This grant, which will complement other existing grants, will be financed through a USD 140 million fund set aside by the Olympic Foundation. The first athletes to benefit from this initiative will be those who competed at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.