Last year, the International Military Sports Council — which is based in Belgium — announced that the eighth Military World Games would be held in Charlotte in the summer of 2027.
The games’ motto is "Friendship Through Sport" and local organizers say 8,000 athletes and 2,000 delegates will come to the Carolinas. It will be an Olympic-style event for active-duty military members from 71 countries.
This week, the city of Charlotte said local organizers have asked for $23 million in cash and in-kind contributions to stage the games.
WFAE’s All Things Considered host Nick De La Canal spoke with WFAE’s Steve Harrison about the big request.
Nick de la Canal: Steve, before we get to the $23 million, tell me a little about these games.
Steve Harrison: Nick, this would be the eighth Military World Games, which features about 40 summer Olympic sports like swimming, handball and shooting. It will be the first held in the U.S. And the last time it was held was in the fall of 2019 in Wuhan, China — right before the pandemic.
There were thousands at a stadium there for the opening ceremony, and President Xi Jinping was there. This will be the first military games since COVID-19.
De la Canal: And who is responsible for bringing it to Charlotte?
Harrison: David Koerner and Ike Belk are the co-chairs of the Charlotte organizing committee, and they founded the United States Performance Center in University City. Their goal is to train Olympic athletes, and a 2024 profile in The Assembly said that Olympic-level athletes from 15 sports are working out there.
And The Assembly reported that North Carolina lawmakers have helped finance their project — allocating $25 million for capital needs for the center in 2021, and then $30 million to the North Carolina Sports Legacy Foundation, which Belk founded.
They have a long-term goal of bringing the Summer Olympics to Charlotte. And while the Military World Games is much, much smaller, it could be seen as a stepping stone to the big event someday.
De la Canal: OK – now onto the group’s request of $23 million. I understand some of that is cash, and some would be in-kind contributions, like getting public and private venues rent-free. What else do we know?
Harrison: Not a lot. City staff mentioned this at a meeting of Charlotte City Council’s economic development committee Monday, and a couple of council members gasped at the size of the request.
The money could come from hotel/motel taxes, which can only be spent on events and venues that generate tourism.
We reached out to the organizing committee with a list of detailed questions about what the money would be used for, and whether the games can move forward without it.
In response to that question — whether the $23 million is a must-have — the group released a statement from local organizing committee president Jeremiah Shirk, who said, “The Military World Games are moving forward, and we will continue working collaboratively with the city of Charlotte as planning progresses. This event represents a tremendous opportunity for Charlotte to welcome the world, generate significant economic activity, and further strengthen our city’s reputation as a premier destination for major international events.”
De la Canal: OK — significant economic activity — do we know how much that would be?
Harrison: The committee hasn’t put out a list of venues or a schedule yet. The host committee said in a promotional video that the nearly two-week-long games would generate “hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity.”
But remember, the games are not just held in Charlotte. Some events would be outside the city, in both North and South Carolina. And a key driver of economic impact aren’t just athletes, but fans. And it’s unclear how many fans would come from outside Charlotte to watch and then spend money on hotels and rental cars and eating out.
And the games aren’t scheduled to be on TV, as of now, although the host committee says it’s “building a media ecosystem that will include broadcast and streaming opportunities.”
Being on TV is a big deal, because the city wants national and international exposure like it got from the Democratic National Convention in 2012.
De la Canal: And speaking of the DNC, I assume Charlotte spent more than $23 million on that.
Harrison: Well, yes and no. The total costs were much, much higher. But most of the money to cover the convention was privately raised, and the city received a $50 million security grant from the federal government.
So the $23 million may be the largest subsidy or payment for a standalone event.
