Chinese Consumer Appliances Giant TCL Secures IOC TOP Partnership 

Chinese consumer appliances giant TCL has struck a deal to be the latest Worldwide Olympic Partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Under the deal, TCL—replaces IOC long-term backer Panasonic— through 2032 in the home audiovisual equipment and home appliances category. This means it covers four editions of the Olympics – the summer games in Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032), and the winter editions in Milan-Cortina (2026), and the French Alps (2030).

The move is a reprieve for IOC’s TOP sponsorship programme after three Japanese behemoths; Toyota, Bridgestone and Panasonic let their deals expire at the end of last year, following the Summer Olympics in Paris.   

TCL will be leveraging on the Olympic experience to collaborate on innovative marketing campaigns and showcase its wide range of products at venues such as the Olympic Village.  

More interestingly, TCL is poised to play an influential role in IOC’s AI Agenda, including supporting fan and athlete experiences on site and at home. 

Following the deal, IOC president Thomas Bach, stated,  “TCL has a long history of supporting sport around the world, and is now taking its ambition to inspire greatness to new heights, as the Olympic Games are the greatest, most inspirational global sporting stage.”

Li Dongsheng, president and founder at TCL, emphasised, “The Olympic Games inspire billions of people around the world, and through this partnership, TCL’s diverse innovations will empower the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and deliver exceptional experiences to a global audience. TCL will continue to fulfil its corporate social responsibility, support the Olympic sustainable development goals, and create a better future.”

According to ASN data, TCL (9.8%, US$24.9m) is the 4^th largest spender for its category in the Asian sponsorship market since Q222, with an average quarterly investment of almost US$2.2m. Following its latest big-money IOC partnership, TCL’s share and spend is poised to be up for a significant rise.  The brand’s other key deals in Asia include global basketball authority FIBA (US$225k), China Basketball Association (US$1.5m+), Arsenal FC (US$1m+) and Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma (US$394k).