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A32 sports
Diaranson 12 Januari 2022

IOC major sponsors mostly muted in runup to Beijing Olympics

three major Olympic sponsors,
pulled its ads off local TV to avoid China has called this the “lie of the
being linked to the Olympics. This century” and says the interment
raised the question of sponsors seek- camps in northwestern Xinjiang are
ing compensation from the IOC. used for job training.

The Games were unpopular in Japan The five U.S.-based sponsors —
when they opened, but polls showed Coca-Cola, Intel, Airbnb, Procter &
they were seen as successful once Gamble, and Visa — were grilled in
they closed. a bi-partisan hearing in July by the
Congressional Executive Committee
Asked about its planning for Beijing, on China.
Toyota spokeswoman Rina Naruke
offered the following to the AP in a Most dodged pointed questions, said
brief statement. they had to follow Chinese law, had
nothing to do with choosing Beijing
“We are unable to provide any specif- as the venue, and focused on the ath-
ic details at this time. We will update letes no matter the Games.
you once we have more information.”
Intel’s Steven Rodgers, an executive
Terrence Burns, who has worked for vice president and general counsel,
(AP) - The Beijing Winter Olym- this Olympic Charter shall be se- the IOC in marketing and branding was the only one of five to say he
pics are fraught with potential cured without discrimination of any but is better known as an indepen- believed the conclusions of the U.S.
hazards for major sponsors, who kind, such as race, color, sex, sexual dent consultant who helped land five State Department that China was
are trying to remain quiet about orientation, language, religion, po- successful Olympic bids, disputed a “committing genocide against the
China’s human rights record litical or other opinion, national or suggestion that the Beijing Olympics Uyghur people.”
while protecting at least $1 bil- social origin, property, birth or other were very different, or that sponsors
lion they’ve collectively paid to status.” were treading lightly. Olympic sponsors and NBCUniver-
the IOC. sal, the broadcast rights holder for the
The Associated Press contacted most “The marketing opportunity for Bei- United States, were asked in a let-
That could reach $2 billion when new of the major Olympic sponsors, but jing 2022 has always been the ability ter from Human Rights Watch to be
figures are expected this year. Spon- was met largely with silence about to promote a Chinese Games in the aware of the rights climate in China,
sors include big household names their plans, or told the focus was on Chinese market; just as it was for and to scrutinize supply chains.
like Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, the athletes. One sponsor that replied, the 2008 Games,” Burns wrote in an
Visa, Toyota, Airbnb, and Panasonic. German financial services company email to AP. President Joe Biden signed a bill
Allianz, said it was “in regular contact last month that bans goods made in
The International Olympic Com- with the IOC” and stood behind ide- “The biggest commercial impact of northwestern China’s Xinjiang re-
mittee’s so-called TOP sponsors als of the Games. the Beijing Games for TOP partners gion, unless companies can show
are being squeezed by a diplomatic will be in the Chinese market. And forced labor was not involved.
boycott led by the United States, the One person in touch with sponsors, realistically, that’s not too different
economic power of 1.4 billion Chi- who was not authorized to speak and from any past Games.” NBC has paid $7.75 billion for the
nese — and the fear of retaliation by asked not to be named, said the gen- next six Olympics (2022 through
China’s authoritarian government. eral mood, especially for those fo- Burns said the IOC’s sponsors were 2032) and the network accounts for
cused outside the China market, was in it for the long haul. Coca-Cola has almost 40% of all IOC income, serv-
China, itself, was part of a full-fledged to avoid mentioning Beijing and to been associated with the Olympics ing as its main partner. It has begun
boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olym- work around the edges. since 1928, and the next few Games promoting the Olympics in the Unit-
pics. look financially promising. ed States but minimizes references to
“I would not be surprised that the Beijing.
“They (sponsors) are trying to walk sponsors would remain silent,” said “I see zero commercial evidence
a fine line between trying to get the Dae Hee Kawk, director of the Cen- of a consumer backlash or concern IOC President Thomas Bach has re-
best exposure, but also not trying to ter for Sports Marketing at the Uni- against any TOP partner. None,” peatedly said the Olympics must be
be perceived as too close to the ac- versity of Michigan. “You could po- Burns wrote. “politically neutral.” But they sel-
tions of the Chinese government,” tentially lose business.” dom are. Four years ago in the Win-
Mark Conrad, who teaches sports law Upcoming Olympics are 2024 in ter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South
and ethics at Fordham University’s Retaliation is a concern. The NBA Paris, followed by Milan-Cortina Korea, Bach aggressively promoted
Gabelli School of Business, said in an experienced it in 2019 when a Hous- d’Ampezzo, Italy, and Los Angeles. his bid to drive talks between the two
email. ton Rockets executive sided in a tweet The IOC has also announced Bris- Koreas.
with democracy protests in Hong bane, Australia, for the 2032 Sum-
The IOC created the strain by return- Kong, Last month, Olympic sponsor mer Olympics, and Sapporo, Japan, is Late last year, the United Nations
ing to a country whose rights abuses Intel had to apologize after publish- a top contender for the 2030 Winter General Assembly approved the
were well documented in the runup ing a letter on its website that asked Games. Olympic Truce Resolution by a con-
to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olym- suppliers to avoid sourcing from Chi- sensus of the 193 member states; 173
pics. They now rival the pandemic na’s Xinjiang region. Host cities are no longer selected in co-sponsored the resolution.
for attention with the Winter Games a bid process, which was subject to
opening on Feb. 4. Sponsors usually saturate the space well-reported corruption by some However, 20 nations did not sign up
around the Olympics. Less so now rank-and-file IOC members. The as co-sponsors including the United
The rights violations committed with lucrative hospitality programs IOC leadership now picks the ven- States, Britain, Japan, Canada, Aus-
against Muslim Uyghurs and other also shelved by the pandemic. ues with rubber-stamp approval from tralia, India and North Korea. The
minorities clash with the lofty prin- members. United States and Australia are future
ciples in the Olympic Charter. The “The sponsors’ silence speaks vol- Olympic hosts, Japan just held the
Charter speaks of putting “sport at umes — more than any news release IOC sponsors have come under pres- Summer Olympics and is a candidate
the service of the harmonious devel- can,” wrote Conrad, the sports law sure from human rights advocates for 2030, and North Korea is China’s
opment of humankind, with a view professor at Fordham. and some members of the U.S. Con- staunchest ally.
to promoting a peaceful society con- gress, who have called for moving the
cerned with the preservation of hu- The pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olym- Olympics or a full-fledged boycott. Bach has declined to condemn the
man dignity.” pics stymied sponsors. Fans were Last month an unofficial body set up alleged genocide or speak out on
banned, officials shuttered an enclo- in Britain concluded that the Chinese human rights in China. He seldom
It further adds: “The enjoyment of sure brimming with sponsor mar- government committed genocide and mentions the Uyghurs by name.
the rights and freedoms set forth in quees, and Toyota, one of Japan’s crimes against humanity.