Author:
Lars Becker

Alibaba, Coca-Cola, Visa, Samsung and others support the IOC

Sponsors of the Olympic Games: These are the Olympic funders

The Olympic Games are a money machine: Among those who sponsored the Olympics there are 14 top sponsor and almost 70 other partners. Anually, the Olympic Games sponsors flush billions into the IOC's coffers.All information about the Olympic Games official sponsors, partners and financiers - including global brands such as Coca-Cola, Intel and Alibaba is presented in the article below.

The Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium in Tokyo - one of the sports venues of the Olympic Games.
The Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium in Tokyo - one of the sports venues of the Olympic Games.

How much money does the IOC make from Olympic sponsorship?

Alongside TV contracts, sponsors and partners are the IOC's main sources of income: $2 billion is taken in by the Olympic host through its 14 top global sponsors alone in the four-year cycle that includes the Pyeongchang Winter Games and the Tokyo Summer Games. For the next cycle, with the 2022 Games in Beijing and 2024 in Paris, the amount is expected to rise to $3 billion, according to the IOC. On top of that, there will be another $3.3 billion or so from the nearly 70 Japanese "domestic sponsors."

No wonder: As a highlight of the sports season lasting several weeks, the Olympic Games still reach billions of people - on their TV screens, but now above all as trending content on social media.

Who are the sponsors and partners for the Tokyo Olympics?

The IOC has a four-tier sponsorship system for the Tokyo Olympics, from global partners to gold partners to primarily Japanese companies as "domestic sponsors." The sponsors and partners at a glance:

 

Worldwide Olympic Partners
CompanyIndustryIn the IOC TOP-Programme since
Coca-Colabeverages1986 (Olympic sponsor since 1928)
Airbnbaccomodations2019
Alivavacloud services and e-commerce2017
AtosIT2001
Bridgestonetyres2014
Dowchemikals2010
GEtransportation and infrastructure2005
Intelprocessors and chips2017
Omegawatches2003
Panasonicentertainment electronics1987
Procter & Gambledaycare products2010
Samsungcommunication and electronics1997
Toyotavehicles and mobility2017
Visapayment services1986
Further sponsors
Olympic Gold PartnersOlympic Official PartnersOlympic Official Supporters
AsahiAjinomotoAOKI
AsicsEarth CorporationAggreko
CanonEducation FirstECC
EneosAirweaveEY Japan
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire InsuranceKikkomanKADOKAWA
NissayKNTGoogle
NECJTBKOKUYO
NTTCiscoSHIMIZU CORPORATION
NomuraSecomTANAKA HOLDINGS
FujitsuANATECHNOGYM
MizuhoAlsokTOBU TOWER SKYTREE
SMBCDNPNOMURA
Mitsui FudosanDaiwa HousePARK24
MeijiTokyo GasPasona Group
LixilTokyo MetroBCG Japan
 TotoMARUDAI FOOD
 Tobu Top ToursMorisawa
 ToppanYahoo Japan Corporation
 Narita AirportTHE SANKEI SHIMBUN
 NissinThe Hokkaido Shimbun Press
 Japan Post 
 Japan Airport Terminal Haneda 
 Japan Airlines 
 JR 
 Hisamitsu 
 Mitsubishi Electric 
 Yamato 
 Recruit Holdings 
 The Japan News 
 The Asahi Shimbun 
 Nikkei 
 Mainichi 

How much does it cost to become an Olympic sponsor?

For the IOC's usual four-year cycle, the Olympic sponsorship costs a three-digit million sum to the 14 global partners. According to Quartz, sponsors currently pay up to $300 million per cycle.

Bridgestone or Panasonic, for example, cost $200 million to $250 million each for their status as a global partner for four years. Airbnb is said to have signed an eight-year contract until 2028 with payments of $500 million.

What impact does Corona have on sponsorship?

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics naturally also has an impact on sponsorship. Contracts have had to be renegotiated simply because of the time blast from the usual four-year cycle. The limitation of spectator numbers at the venues to a maximum of 10,000 people, as well as the likely absence of international fans, are also changing the image of the Games and thus also that of the sponsors.

In the event of a decline in the value of Olympic sponsorship, Rick Burton, a professor of sports management at Syracuse University, says it's conceivable that agreements for the 2022 and 2024 Games could be extended.

Despite the tense economic situation, Japan's "Domestic Sponsors" have also pledged their continued support for the Games.

What do the sponsors receive in return?

Global Sponsors' products and services are used at the sports venues on site and by the athletes. For example, Omega watches are used to measure time at competitions. Consumer electronics for the athletes come from Samsung. 

The sponsors and partners, in turn, are the only brands with the right to use the famous Olympic rings and the Olympic flame in their marketing activities. Procter & Gamble, for example, is taking advantage of this in its #LeadWithLove campaign for the Games.

 

Funding of Olympic Games

The Olympic Games have always been attracting a large number of sponsors being a responsible and honorific event in global sense. The number of companies sponsoring the Olympics annually reaches an average of 50 brands providing different forms of support. But traditionally, the major sponsors of the Olympics remain Coca-Cola, Samsung, Visa, Procter&Gamble, etc.

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Author:
Lars Becker