A-B InBev will remain a global sponsor for the IOC, extending its deal through 2032.
The company first joined the TOP program in January 2024 with a deal through the 2028 L.A. Games. Extending the sponsorship for another cycle gives A-B InBev exclusive rights for the 2030 French Alps Games and the 2032 Brisbane Games.
Non-alcoholic beer Corona Cero continues as the global beer sponsor, while Michelob Ultra will continue as the official beer sponsor of Team USA.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the entry point of the program is estimated at $200M per quadrennium
The extension marks a further boost for the TOP program, which last week added TCL in the home audiovisual equipment and home appliances category.
That deal, which also goes through 2032, replaced the IOC’s longtime sponsorship agreement with Panasonic. The company, which had been a TOP sponsor since 1987, joined Atos, Bridgestone and Toyota in leaving the program last year.
Shoring up deals with current partners serves as a boost in the final months of Thomas Bach’s tenure as president. The German lawyer has helped lead the IOC to unprecedented commercial success since he was elected in 2013.
The IOC has not yet released financial statements for the entire 2021-24 quad, but the TOP program brought in $2.3B in 2017-21 to more than double the previous quad.
Despite its success, sponsors and those close to the movement see an evolution of the program in the immediate future. Most of the seven candidates vying to replace Bach in the IOC election next month have proposed ideas to assess and revamp the TOP program.
The additional of TCL last week brought the program to 12 global partners. Through a longstanding memorandum of understanding, participation in the marketing program also includes marketing rights for the Paralympics.
