Sports
Paris 2024 Olympics: Costs of Travel, Hotels, Daily Life, Tickets – Guide for Nigerian Fans
By Robert Blaszczyk
How much do you have to spend to go to the Olympics in Paris
NBA stars, tennis champions, athletics – the queen of sport – and a myriad of other top-level sports, all in one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals. There are plenty of reasons for fans to head to Paris for the Olympic Games between 26 July and 11 August. We advise you on how to get to the sporting arenas and how much travel, hotels, and on-site living might cost.
Tickets for the Olympic Games
The organisers of the XXXIII Summer Olympics in Paris prepared nearly 10 million tickets for individual events. Mostly, they were sold out months before the athletes began competing, even though the prices may have seemed high. The best seats for the final basketball game cost 980 EUR each, which is about 1.6 million Nigerian naira. The athletics or swimming final sessions were equally expensive, but that was still not much compared to the premium tickets for the opening ceremony. The most expensive seats were priced at 2,700 EUR or 4.4 million naira. Of course, the rival Olympic athletes can also be admired by paying much less. Cheaper tickets for canoeing, for example, were priced at 79 EUR (about 129,000 NGN), and the least attractive seats for the closing ceremony were priced at 45 EUR (about 73,400 NGN).
“The official ticket distribution channel paris24tickets.com is still available to hunt for seats, where reservations are released for various reasons. Tickets are also available on services not authorised by The International Olympic Committee,” points out Robert Blaszczyk, Head of Strategic Client Department at fintech Conotoxia.
Prices in Paris
Average prices and cost of living in Paris are much higher than in Nigeria. Examples from supermarkets: a litre of milk in the store – 1.40 EUR (about 2.3 thousand NGN), 12 eggs – 4.7 EUR (about 7.7 thousand NGN), a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water – 0.95 EUR (about 1.5 thousand NGN), beer – 2.3 EUR (about 3.75 thousand NGN). For a meal for two in a medium-priced restaurant, you will pay around 70 EUR (114 thousand NGN), a set in a fast food chain costs 12 EUR (about 19.5 thousand NGN), a coffee in a cafe – 4.3 EUR (about 7 thousand NGN), and a beer in a pub – 7 EUR (about 11.4 thousand NGN).
During the Olympic Games, one must expect increased prices for accommodation. For a weekend stay for two people (including the event ceremony), it is difficult to find offers below 750 thousand NGN, proposals twice as expensive prevail – from 1.5 million NGN, or more than 900 EUR.
“Transport also seems relatively expensive. A several-kilometre taxi ride is an expense of several euros, renting a car for 24 hours – about 30 EUR (about 49 thousand NGN), and a ticket for a single ride on public transport costs 2.15 EUR (about NGN 3.5 thousand),” the Conotoxia expert calculates.
To celebrate the Olympics, fans can benefit from the Paris 2024 Pass, a card that allows unlimited rides. Options will be available for one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven days. Prices range from 16 to 70 EUR (26,117-114,264 naira).
The app will show the way
All the Olympic venues (25 of them – 13 in Paris and 12 on the outskirts) will be connected by a mass public transport system capable of carrying 500,000 people daily. The Transport Public Paris 2024 app, specially developed for the Olympics and available in six languages (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian), should prove very useful for using the underground, buses and trams. It will suggest the best routes for fans and provide real-time information on traffic jams. It will also enable the purchase of virtual tickets on both Android and iOS devices. There are also expected to be 400 free buses moving fans along potentially the most popular routes.
Be careful where you exchange your currency
France has been a member of the Eurozone for more than 20 years, and the average exchange rate of the European currency remains at around 1,618.80 NGN.
“When exchanging naira to euros, it’s worth avoiding mistakes that can increase the cost of your trip. Stationary exchange offices, especially those at airports or in city centres, often offer unfavourable rates and high spreads, i.e. the difference between the purchase and sale price of the currency. Using an ordinary debit or credit card abroad for non-cash payments also exposes you to uncontrollable commissions. A multi-currency card seems to be a much more convenient and advantageous way to pay in other countries. You can top it up on an ongoing basis, keeping your expenses in check, but also withdraw money from ATMs with it. Cash can come in handy, for example, in some Parisian bars, restaurants or bakeries, where it is not possible to pay by card,” warns Robert Blaszczyk of Conotoxia.
Sports fans heading to Paris who prefer cashless payments should remember that VISA remains the exclusive payment technology partner and the only card accepted at the Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2032.
Budget for an Olympic weekend or week
Two people will fly from Abuja to Paris and back for about 2.8 million NGN. They will spend about 1.6 million NGN on two nights’ accommodation during the Olympics, food, transportation and the purchase of small Olympic souvenirs. A separate issue seems to be tickets to the Olympic arenas, where expenses can range from 100 to 1,000 euros, or about 163,000 NGN to about 1.63 million NGN. If time permits, you should include a budget for sightseeing in Paris as well, such as an ascent of the iconic Eiffel Tower – about 29.4 EUR (about 48 thousand NGN). In total, an average budget of about 2.2-2.6 million NGN can be estimated. A week-long stay cheering on the Games and exploring the attractions of the French capital could prove to be more than twice as expensive, reaching about 4.5-5.5 million Nigerian naira for two people.
Robert Blaszczyk works with Conotoxia
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The deal between Arsenal Football Club and Emirates has been renewed, making it one of the longest-running and most recognisable partnerships in world sport.
Both parties first came together as partners in 2006 and have since built one of football’s defining partnerships. Spanning the entire Emirates Stadium era, the relationship has evolved alongside the club – supporting Arsenal’s ambitions, strengthening both organisations’ global reach and creating new ways for supporters around the world to connect with Arsenal.
The latest deal will see Emirates continue as the Champions’ front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner through to 2033.
The renewal comes at a pivotal moment in the club’s history following its recent Premier League title. The new agreement will build on many of the flagship initiatives that have defined the partnership, including the Emirates Cup, which brings world-class football to Emirates Stadium each summer, and Global Gooners, which gives supporters from around the world the opportunity to experience Arsenal in North London for the first time.
The next chapter of the partnership will begin this weekend as Arsenal welcome Borussia Dortmund to North London for the Emirates Cup, with a programme of anniversary activity celebrating more than two decades of shared history while looking ahead to the next chapter still to be written. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, will attend alongside Arsenal senior leadership as part of the celebrations.
Launching alongside the partnership renewal is a new cinematic film featuring Arsenal legend Per Mertesacker. Set inside an antique shop filled with objects from across the Emirates era, the film celebrates two decades of shared memories between Arsenal, Emirates and our supporters, reflecting on the history we’ve made together and the moments still to come.
“Winning the Premier League is an incredibly proud moment in our club’s history and one that belongs to everyone connected with Arsenal. Emirates has been an integral part of this success – standing alongside us throughout this journey and sharing in the defining moments, challenges and successes that have shaped our club over the past two decades,” the chief executive of Arsenal, Mr Richard Garlick, stated.
On his part, the President of Emirates Airline, Sir Tim Clark, said, “Over the last two decades, Emirates and Arsenal have built something that goes far beyond a traditional partnership, and one we are immensely proud of. We have grown alongside the club through changes of era and ambition, united by a shared goal of bringing people closer to what they love.
“In practice, that has meant reaching the millions who follow Arsenal across the Emirates network and beyond and creating experiences for them that neither of us could have done alone.”
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the ongoing WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The defending champions bounced back from their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi with a crucial 1-0 victory over Zambia and will now be aiming to finish the group stage strongly. All the matches of the tournament air live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
The final matchday of Group A saw hosts Morocco play out a goalless draw with Senegal, a result that was enough to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals in first position in their group. Algeria also secured their place in the knockout stages after a 2-0 victory over Kenya, bringing their group-stage campaign to a strong close.
Tuesday, Group B will conclude with Burkina Faso facing South Africa before Tanzania takes on Ivory Coast. South Africa and Ivory Coast played out a 2-2 draw in their previous match, while Burkina Faso bounced back from their opening defeat with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. With the group still to be decided, the final results will determine which teams join the quarter-final line-up.
All eyes will then turn to Group C on Wednesday, where Egypt will face Nigeria, and Malawi will take on Zambia, with both matches kicking off at 9:00 pm. The Super Falcons will be hoping to build on their victory over Zambia and secure the result they need to advance to the knockout stages, while Egypt will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in their previous game.
Nigeria’s final group match comes after a difficult start to their title defence. The Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by Malawi in their opening game but responded with a 1-0 victory over Zambia to revive their campaign. The ten-time champions will now need to complete the job against Egypt as they look to keep their hopes of retaining the continental crown alive.
The final group-stage fixtures on Thursday will see Ghana take on Mali, and Cape Verde face Cameroon on Thursday, with both matches also scheduled for 9:00 pm. Ghana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing, while Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. The final results will determine which teams progress to the knockout stages from Group D.
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 9:00 pm
Tanzania vs Ivory Coast – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt vs Nigeria – 9:00 pm
Malawi vs Zambia – 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 6
Cape Verde vs Cameroon – 9:00 pm
Mali vs Ghana – 9:00 pm
SuperSport Brings All the Live Action
Catch every match of WAFCON Morocco 2026 live on SS Football (Ch. 202, GOtv Ch. 61) and SS Football Plus (DStv Ch. 202) on DStv and GOtv. Fans can also stream every match live on DStv Stream from ₦6,000, with no decoder or dish required.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
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