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IOC and Alibaba launch long-term partnership

Xinhua, January 20, 2017 Adjust font size:

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Alibaba Group on Thursday jointly announced a long-term partnership running through 2028 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

In joining the Olympic Partner (TOP) worldwide sponsorship program, Alibaba will become the official cloud services and e-commerce platform services partner of the IOC, as well as a founding partner of the Olympic Channel.

President of the IOC Thomas Bach says that the new partnership plays on the strength of Alibaba's platform.

"In this new digital world, Alibaba is uniquely positioned to help the IOC achieve a variety of key objectives outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, while positively shaping the future of the Olympic Movement," Bach said.

The alliance will help drive efficiency in the organization of the Olympic Games through 2028, while also supporting the global development of digital opportunities including the Olympic Channel.

"Alibaba's partnership with the IOC is built on a foundation of shared values and a common vision for connecting the world and enriching people's lives," said Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group.

"We are proud to support Olympic Agenda 2020, using our innovations and technologies to help evolve the Olympic Games for the digital era," he added.

Daniel Zhang, Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer, told Xinhua in an interview that through the partnership, the company will contribute cloud computing infrastructure and cloud services to help the Olympic Games operate more efficiently, effectively and securely, including supporting big data analytics requirements.

Zhang says Alibaba also will help build a global e-commerce platform allowing Olympic stakeholders to engage and connect with fans seeking official Olympic licensed products, along with selected sports products.

This cooperation will also leverage the company's leading digital media technologies and know-how to develop and customize the Olympic Channel for Chinese audience.

IOC Marketing Commission chair Tsunekazu Takeda says the new partnership will be a boon to the Olympic movement.

"We are delighted to be working in the long term with Alibaba for the benefit of the Olympic Movement. This strategic partnership underlines the global appeal of the Olympic values and opens an exciting new chapter in this digital age," he remarked.

Alibaba is the first company to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028, and the first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Alibaba says it will support the organizers of each edition of the Olympic Games, and the wider Olympic movement around the world. The rights it secures through the deal will include advertising and promotional use of Olympic marks and imagery from the Olympic Games as well as marks from the National Olympic committees. Endit