The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Visa Inc. today announced an extension to their global Olympic Partnership through to 2032.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: "We are particularly happy with this extension of our partnership because Visa is one of the founding members of our TOP Programme. Our partnership with Visa demonstrates a shared commitment to the legacy of the Olympic Games and the global Olympic Movement. Visa has always been a driving force for innovation on the world's stage. On behalf of the IOC, the National Olympic Committees around the world, and the athletes themselves, I would like to thank Visa, its clients and partners for their commitment through to the 2032 Olympic Games."
"Since 1986, Visa has brought the latest payment innovations and digital experiences to the Olympic Games, all while helping athletes in their quest to achieve greatness," said Al Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Visa Inc. "By continuing our support of the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games through 2032, we will ensure the next generation of athletes, fans, cardholders and clients are able to get more out of their Olympic experience, and be part of a movement that inspires and unites us all to do great things."
In 1986, Visa became one of the founding members of the Worldwide TOP Partner Programme, and has continuously delivered innovative payment solutions to each Olympic Games. In renewing its sponsorship, Visa will work with the local Organising Committees to ensure a legacy of digital payment advancement in the host country during and beyond the Olympics Games, and continues its support of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Paralympic Games through the IOC-IPC long-term collaboration agreement.
Tsunekazu Takeda, the IOC's Marketing Commission Chairman, said "Today's announcement demonstrates both the strength of our enduring partnership with Visa, one of the original founding members of the global TOP programme, as well as the long-term appeal of the Olympic Movement for the world's leading companies."
"Visa provides a secure and fast way to pay across merchants, borders and currencies, and the Olympic Games provides an unparalleled opportunity to promote the Visa brand at both a local market level and globally," said Lynne Biggar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Visa Inc.
The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.
For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000, email: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world's leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company's relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, visacorporate.tumblr.comand @VisaNews.
Media Contact:
Tuesday Uhland
Visa Inc.
tuhland@visa.com
Broadcast quality footage
The IOC Newsroom: http://iocnewsroom.com/
Videos
YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
Photos
For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.
Social media
For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.