Hilton has agreed in principal to renew its sponsorship of the USOC, a move that will see it extend its deal as the official family of hotels for Team USA through '16. Sources said the company agreed to a new deal shortly before the London Games. The deal has not been signed. The USOC declined to comment. A Hilton spokesperson said the company was in active discussions with the USOC and hopes to continue the longstanding relationship. Hilton has been a USOC sponsor since '05. Its last deal, which covered the '09-12 quadrennial, was valued at approximately $10M overall in value-in-kind support, but the company's return as a sponsor was not guaranteed. Last year, it signed on to sponsor the Chinese Olympic Committee. That deal gives Hilton rights to tickets and hospitality at the Olympics, which it can use as hospitality for customers and its hotel owners. That made the USOC agreement less necessary than it had previously been. Had the hotel walked away from its deal, the USOC could have turned to Marriott as a potential replacement. Marriott has shown an interest in the Olympics during the last two years, signing sponsorships with USA Swimming and USA Hockey. When Hilton renewed its current deal in '08, the company's then Senior VP/Brand Management Jeffrey Diskin said that internal research found a 50% increase among people who preferred, recommended, trusted and stayed in Hilton hotels because of the company's Olympic relationship. He added that bookings on Hilton websites connected to national governing bodies like USA Gymnastics provided a good return-on-investment for the hotel chain. Hilton works with The Marketing Arm on its Olympic sponsorships.
MORE FOR 24 HOUR FITNESS: 24 Hour Fitness has renewed its USOC sponsorship, extending its position as the official fitness center of Team USA through '16. The company first signed on as a USOC partner in '03. It historically was categorized as a USOC supplier, the organization’s third sponsorship tier, which is worth anywhere from $3-10M over four years. 24 Hour Fitness has seen a strong return on its investment over the last four years, CEO Carl Liebert said. In surveys, potential customers said they were 15-20% more likely to choose 24 Hour Fitness over its competitors because of its Team USA affiliation.
