Intel, one of the largest multinational companies operating in Ireland has signed a Top Olympic Partner agreement with the International Olympic Committee which will run through the next two Olympic Games in Tokyo and either paris or Los Angeles.

The long-term technology partnership was signed in New York with IOC President Thomas Bach and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, pictured above.

Intel will join “The Olympic Partner” (TOP) worldwide sponsorship programme, becoming a Worldwide TOP Partner through 2024. Others at the same level include Toyota, Coca Cola, Samsung and Visa.

Revenues from Sponsorship at this level have increased from less than $100 million when the programme was introduced for the 1988 Olympic Cycle to over $1 Billion on the road to Rio.

This new partnership with Intel aims to transform the Olympic Games and the Olympic experience through a number of initiatives that have already been highlighted and many more that will develop over time in this fast moving world of technology.

Working with the IOC, Intel’s contributions to the Olympic Movement will include:

  • Technological and content support for Olympic Broadcasting Services’ host broadcaster operations, as well as for the Olympic Channel, the multi-platform destination where fans can discover, engage and share in the power of sport and the excitement of the Olympic Games all year round.
  • Intel’s 5G platforms will be used at the Olympic Games to demonstrate how 5G will transform communications over the next decade. Starting in 2018, Intel will partner on what is expected to be the first 5G showcase, setting the stage for the global deployment of 5G.
  • Intel TrueVR will offer the first live virtual reality broadcast of the Olympic Winter Games, providing fans the opportunity for a more immersive experience from their own homes.
  • Intel drone light show technology will create never seen-before images in the sky.
  • Intel 360 Replay Technology will allow fans to experience the greatest, most memorable Olympic moments from every angle at the Olympic venues. In the future, TV viewers at home will be able to experience what it’s like to be at the Olympic Games with a front-row seat, or choose from many different viewing points in the Olympic venues. The power to choose what they want to see and how they want to experience the Olympic Games will be in the hands of the fans.

That’s a pretty exciting line up of enhancements to get going with.

“As a result of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC is forging ground-breaking partnerships,” said Bach.

“Intel is a world-leader in its field and we’re very excited to be working with the Intel team to drive the future of the Olympic Games through cutting-edge technology.”

“The Olympic Games provide a connection between fans and athletes that has inspired people around the world through sport and the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.”

“Thanks to our new innovative global partnership with Intel, fans in the stadium, athletes and audiences around the world will soon experience the magic of the Olympic Games in completely new ways.”

Excited

“We are excited to join the Olympic Movement and integrate Intel’s innovative technologies to advance the Olympics Games experience for fans around the world,” added Krzanich,

“Through this close collaboration with the Olympic family, we will accelerate the adoption of technology for the future of sports on the world’s largest athletic stage”.

As a Worldwide TOP Partner, Intel will support the National Olympic Committees and their teams around the world, as well as the IOC and the Organisers of the Olympic Games.

How this might shape up in relation to the Olympic Council of Ireland remains to be seen but there will hopefully be some meaningful connection given Intel’s significant presence here.

Intel’s global activation rights will include the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and the Olympic Games in 2024 in a city yet to be selected.

“Our strategic partnership with Intel is a clear demonstration of the enduring appeal of the Olympic Games and the trust the world’s leading companies have in the Olympic Movement,’ concluded Tsunekazu Takeda, the IOC’s Marketing Commission Chair.

“The Olympic Movement is looking forward to working with Intel to achieve its vision of building a better world through sport.”

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