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≡ IOC TOP SPONSORS ≡
“AB InBev, the world’s leading brewer, will extend its Worldwide Olympic Partnership (TOP Partnership) through to 2032.”
Monday’s announcement by the International Olympic Committee confirmed not only the extension of the AB InBev deal through the 2032 Brisbane Games, but the products and themes to be promoted:
● “During the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Corona Cero reached Olympic fans of legal drinking age around the world with messages of connection, moderation and celebration. Together with the IOC, AB InBev highlighted a shared commitment to responsible consumption.”
● “No-alcohol beer Corona Cero will continue as the global beer sponsor of the Olympic Games, highlighting the IOC and AB InBev’s commitment to responsible consumption and creating a future with more cheers.”
● “In the United States, AB InBev will support the Olympic and Paralympic Games through to Brisbane 2032 with Michelob ULTRA, a superior light beer that celebrates an active lifestyle.”
Close observers of sports marketing will note that it’s actually a pretty strong endorsement of the Olympic brand that a company which makes and sells beer – Budweiser is 5.0% alcohol by volume – is spending tens of millions to promote its non-alcoholic products (except in the U.S., as Michelob ULTRA is 4.2% alcohol by volume).
The announcement also brought out the statistician in me to see where TOP is now – for the 2028 and 2032 quadrennials – compared to the past:
Number of TOP sponsors per quad:
● 7: 2032 (seven years to go)
● 9: 1988
● 10: 1996, 2004
● 11: 1992, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2028 (three years to go)
● 14: 2020
● 15: 2024
So, of the 12 TOP quadrennials since the project started for the 1985-88 period, the Los Angeles 2028 total – with the addition of TCL last week – is already the equal-third highest ever, with three years remaining before the Games.
And Brisbane in 2032 is already at seven now, with the AB InBev extension:
● AB InBev
● Allianz
● Coca-Cola/Mengniu
● Deloitte
● Omega
● TCL
● Visa
(Airbnb, Alibaba Group, Proctor & Gamble and Samsung are signed through 2028.)
Four sponsors – three from Japan – dropped at the end of the 2024 quadrennial: Atos, Bridgestone, Panasonic and Toyota. Panasonic has essentially been replaced by TCL in the home appliances and electronics category, and the results and systems coordination role played by French technology consultants Atos has reportedly been rolled up into the Deloitte sponsorship.
While Bridgestone will be missed in the tires sector, the major loss is Toyota, which signed an enormous deal in 2015, not only providing huge payments to the IOC, but also providing 3,000 vehicles – car and trucks – during the Games, which are crucial to organizing committee operations. If a replacement is not found, the LA28 organizers could be looking at significant added costs to obtain the vehicles they need for moving people and things.
A “mobility” sponsor aside, the IOC’s sponsorship program appears to be on fairly solid ground for 2028 and has a solid head start on 2032.
There is a lot of work to do yet, but with the IOC stating quite clearly that while it will not allow in-stadium advertising boards a la the FIFA World Cup, it is amenable to product placement opportunities and sensible integration into the operations at the Games.
So, is the stage set for artificial intelligence to impact Olympic competitions – at least on broadcasts if not holography on the field of play – on behalf of sponsors, beginning in Los Angeles in 2028?
And if so, how long before discussions about sponsorship become more about the importance of the IOC-owned Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) team, then the Olympic organizing committees who stage the Games on the ground?
Or, maybe, it has already started.
Rich Perelman
Editor
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