The photographic company, which has been an Olympic partner for more than a century, follows General Motors in its decision not to renew its global sponsorship of the Games.
Canadian finance brand Manulife, which has yet to renew its sponsorship with the IOC beyond Beijing, is unlikely to do so either, according to industry experts.
The IOC has 12 companies in place for the Beijing Olympics, and aims to have the same number installed for its next Olympic cycle, which spans the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 and London 2012. Eight brands are confirmed to date: Visa, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung, General Electric and Atos Origin.
TOP partners Johnson & Johnson and computing giant Lenovo have also yet to extend their sponsorship deals. However, it is understood that the IOC has agreed another global sponsorship deal from an as-yet undisclosed brand.
The response of brands for sponsorship of the London 2012 games has been more positive, with Lloyds TSB, EDF and Adidas all confirmed as tier-one partners.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) is seeking sponsors in the clothing, homewares, oil, gas, telecommunications, automotive and airline sectors. It has attracted interest from supermarkets and beer brands regarding tier-one sponsorship.
Royal Mail is understood to be considering a second- or third-tier deal.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
