Wimbledon is set to recoup approximately £100 million, thanks to the prescient addition of a virus-related clause in its insurance policy, added over a decade ago after a SARS scare. The story, reported by Stuart Fraser of the London Times, claims that “insurance that covers infectious diseases and is in the process of putting together a claim potentially in excess of £100 million.”
Reportedly Wimbledon is the only of the four Grand Slams to carry such insurance, paying in the neighborhood of £1.5 million annually for it.
Wimbledon was set to bring in around £250m in revenue over the Championships fortnight, and these estimates, minus payouts for organization and prize payouts, will affect the size of their insurance claim.
Richard Lews, Wimbledon CEO said: “The insurance will help protect the surplus to an extent, I would say to a large extent. Of course we're fortunate to have the insurance and it helps, but it doesn't solve all the problems. The details and the figure probably won't be known for months.”