Any Japanese company "eager to become one of the top sponsors of the 2020 Olympic Games will have to cough up" at least ¥15B ($127.5M) for the honor, according to KYODO.
The period for the “Gold Partner” sponsorship contract "will extend to the end of 2020," and the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games "aims to raise" at least ¥150B ($1.3B) in revenue through the program.
Sponsors "will be divided into three ranks and only one company will be selected per category, in principle." A source said that the second rank will be "Official Partner," which will have a floor of ¥6B ($51M) for participating sponsors.
The rest will have to settle for the "Official Supporter" designation and will be required to pay from ¥1B ($8.5M) to ¥3B ($25.5M) for the title (KYODO, 1/19). The AFP reported seven companies, including brewer Asahi, telecom company NTT Docomo and Toyota, "are expected to be among the bidders for the prestigious title of 'Gold Sponsor.'"
Footing the sponsorship bill "buys companies the right to use the Games logo and slogans in advertisements for the duration of the contract, which runs until the end of 2020." According to data compiled by the London Guardian, if the price tag for the top sponsor "is accurate, it would represent a hefty premium on what it cost for the 2012 Games in London," when Coca-Cola paid an estimated $100M (AFP, 1/19).
