(ATR) New head of the IOC marketing commission Tsunekazu Takeda appears to have sealed his first TOP sponsorship deal with tire giant Bridgestone.
The IOC is reported to be on the verge of inking a top-tier partnership with the Japan-based company, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
The 10-year deal would cover Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020, the 2022 Winter Olympics, and the 2024 Summer Games.
The agreement would give Bridgestone global rights to use the Olympic logo.
The head of the Japanese Olympic Committee was appointed as the IOC’s marketing chief in April, with a specific remit to bring in sponsors for the next two Games. He succeeded Norway’s Gerhard Heiberg.
Around the Rings is told that the IOC had been in talks with several Japanese companies in recent months.
Bridgestone is set to formalize the contract next month when IOC president Thomas Bach visits Japan, the Japanese newspaper reported.
Panasonic is the only other Japanese TOP sponsor. Earlier this year, the electronics company extended its sponsorship with the IOC until 2024.
The IOC did not confirm Bridgestone as a new sponsor.
"We are in discussions with a number of companies about joining the TOP program but will only comment if and when an agreement is finalized and announced," IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau told ATR.
Written by Mark Bisson
Homepage photo: Getty Images
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