RIO DE JANEIRO NBC, a unit of Comcast Corp, has sold $1.2 billion in advertising for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the network said on the eve of a rare Games where some of the most high-profile contests will air live in prime time for USA audiences.
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Police used tear gas and stun grenades in a poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday in order to divert protesters and clear the path for the Olympic torch, just two days prior to the start of the Olympic Games.
The flame will be carried through the streets of Rio to Maracana Stadium for Friday’s opening ceremony.
Anti-government protestors feel the Games should not be held in Brazil due to the country’s dire economic situation, and threw rocks at police in northern suburb Duque de Caixas.
The world’s largest sporting event comes to Brazil at a challenging time, in the midst of the country’s worst recession in at least a quarter century and an impeachment trial of a suspended president.
“My main job is to strengthen communication with Rio police so that we can better protect the safety of Chinese sports delegates, tourists, journalists as well as all Chinese citizens in Rio”, the state-run China News Service quoted him as saying.
More supporters made their way into the Olympic Stadium, with the official attendance of 13,439 given, although that was more than 75 per cent short of capacity.
“The Olympics is a waste of time”.
Philip Wilkinson, a spokesman for the Rio 2016 organizing committee, did not confirm the information, saying the identity of the person lighting the cauldron was supposed to be a surprise. “Therefore I think we can say very clearly the financial model of the Games has really stood a stress test which I hope we will not have to withstand in the future again”.
A few weeks before the Olympics, the mayor of Rio took the media for a tour of a soon to be finished new road with a dedicated bus lane, connecting key Olympic venues.
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Andrada claimed that 80 per cent of tickets for the games had been sold, although there are around 1.5million still remaining.
