Athletics received a £200M ($322M)-plus "backing of Japanese marketing giants Dentsu for the next 15 years," according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL. Dentsu will announce that it is renewing its agency partnership with the int'l athletics federation (IAAF) until '29. IAAF sources said that "the massive marketing and rights deal for a sport that has had more than its fair share of negative publicity" will guarantee the IAAF a minimum £11M ($18M) a year -- with extra on a profit share -- until '19 and then £14M ($23M) a year as a minimum for the next decade. The agreement will ensure IAAF President Lamine Diack leaves the organization "in a healthy financial state when he steps down next year." The favorite to succeed Diack is British Olympic Association Chair Sebastian Coe, "who has enjoyed a good relationship with Dentsu" since it became the IAAF’s marketing partners. The Japanese agency "would not have committed to such a long contract if they did not fully expect Coe to take the helm" (DAILY MAIL, 9/9). THE DRUM's Ishbel Macleod reported "Dentsu and the IAAF will continue to jointly develop new marketing programs with the objective of increasing the popularity of track and field and its events throughout the world" (THE DRUM, 9/9).
