Finland’s major event attracted big supporters – The surprise struck: “There was no revenue at all”

Dozens of prize competition medalists. Olympic winners and record breaking athletes. Participants from 43 different countries.

The athlete coverage of Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku was very intense this year. It means that PN Turku Oy, which organizes the event, had to put quite a few euros on the table.

The event’s athlete budget this year was around 450,000 euros – the largest in the competition’s history. Prize money was distributed in the amount of 180,000 dollars, or about 167,000 euros.

– The operating budget for the whole year is a little over two million, CEO of PN Turku Oy Jari Salonen tells.

Last year’s financial statements have not yet been published, but according to Salonen, PN Turku was 16,000 euros in the red.

The company does not seek profit. The company owned by the Suomen Urheiluiliito (SUL), Turku Urheiluiliito, TuTo, Turku Weikot athletics and the heirs of Paavo Nurme receives its funding from three different channels.

They are business partners, public sources and box office.

– Sponsors and corporate partners make up about 45 percent of our funding. About a third comes from public sources. The city of Turku is a key supporter, as is the Ministry of Education and Culture. The rest comes from the entrance tickets, Salonen opens.

– The compensation related to the International Athletics Federation series is about five percent, he continues.

Payments late

The last few years have been difficult for PN Turku Oy.

In 2020, the games had to be moved from June to August due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The following summer, Turku had lost a qualified athlete coverage, but the organizers expected losses of more than 300,000 euros. Due to the corona restrictions, a maximum of 2,500 spectators could enter the stadium per day, while previously there have been 13,000 pairs of eyes at best.

A big relief came when Paavo Nurmi Games received 227,000 euros in support from the state.

– Without the event guarantee, we would really be in trouble, Salonen commented last summer.

Iltalehti reported in April that some of the athletes who participated in PNG had to wait for nine months for their competition fees and result bonuses from last year.

Salonen said at the time that the arrears of 20,000 euros and the interest, which had grown to more than a thousand euros, were paid in March of this year.

– Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for race organizers to sometimes have to make adjustments with payment schedules. But of course, as a Finnish organizer, we wouldn’t want to be in that group at all, he said.

PN Turku Oy made a loss of approximately EUR 31,000 in 2021. Salonen said at the time that in “normal years” the company’s result varies between a profit and a loss of 20,000 euros.

So last year’s loss is also moderate.

– Two to three years have been a struggle. 2021 was even easier than last year. Last year was expected to be fairly normal. The income was supposed to come, but it didn’t, says Salonen now.

International companies

PNG’s four official sponsors are the City of Turku, Yle, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Tahto sports museum.

There are twelve main sponsors. The group includes, among others, the international sports nutrition brand Maxim, the language company Lingsoft, which operates with a turnover of more than 12 million euros, and the beer brand Heineken’s non-alcoholic beer.

Such sponsors are rarely seen at Finnish sporting events. There are also several international companies among the smaller partners.

– Certainly our product is suitable for making an international brand. It’s great to get international brands involved, but of course the decisions about sponsorship are made in the companies’ Finnish organizations, Salonen elaborates.

The story continues after the picture.

PNG’s main cooperation partnership costs around 15,000–30,000 euros per year.

By Finnish standards, an exceptionally good sponsorship coverage is possible, as PNG is an annual Olympic sports event. PNG belongs to the World Association of Athletics Federations gold level, which is the second highest level after the Diamond League.

The games are shown on television in more than 150 countries and via live streaming in all 214 member countries of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

– It will certainly have a positive effect. Maybe not hugely when it’s one race.