Visa Re-Ups Olympics Sponsorship

Visa is going for the gold. The credit card company today announced it has renewed its exclusive sponsorship as the only credit card accepted at the Olympic Games. The new contract will begin after the 2010 Games and extend over the next eight years, ending with the conclusion of the Olympic Summer Games in 2020.

Under the contract, Visa will sponsor the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, and the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games. It will retain exclusive category rights to the promotional use of Olympic branding imagery for all 205 national committees and teams.

Since the original pairing in 1986, Visa has seen increased transaction volume and enhanced its global branding, according to Jennifer Bazante, head of global sponsorship marketing for Visa. She said during last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, 573 clients rallied around the sponsorship in 41 countries.

“We’ve been sponsors of the Olympics for over 20 years and this property has proven to be a very strong global platform that advertises our brand in front of a very passionate global fanbase,” said Bazante. “It has been a fantastic property and we’ve seen that it has helped drive our high-level fan goals.”