IOC Hopes for Chinese TOP Deal

The International Olympic Committee is hoping a Chinese company will join its TOP sponsorship programme for the next instalment of the Games.

IOC marketing head, medic Gerhard Heiberg said that in the past the TOP program has mainly attracted western companies that have experience in sports marketing but the IOC aims to make the programmes more universal.

According to Heiberg, most major Asian companies, particularly those from China, had little knowledge of sports marketing was up until the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He said that TOP programme member, Samsung, has benefitted greatly from sport sponsorship and is committed to the program through to 2016.

Heiberg hinted the number of sponsorships on offer under the TOP program may be reduced when the program is reviewed in 2020. The TOP program is currently limited to 12 companies. The IOC has deals with 11.{jcomments on}