LOCOG Expects to Exceed Sponsor Target; Facebook Pens $30m Participation Deal

(ATR) London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton predicts his team will defy the global economic downturn and top its $1 billion sponsorship target.

Deighton, who was in Copenhagen with other senior LOCOG figures this week to give a progress report to IOC members on the 2012 Games, said that London had completed its set of tier one sponsors, but felt that “the pull of the Olympics” for potential commercial backers was becoming stronger.

“People are planning for recovery now, but I think the momentum of our sponsorship program and the excitement as we get closer to the Games is probably a stronger pull than the economic background,” Deighton said.

“I would say that given how strong we have been, we are now focused on reaching £700 million.”

That would see London – which has already exceeded all previous Olympic records for sponsorship deals achieved in advance of a Games – bring in more than $80 million above its original target.

UPS, the American-owned global delivery firm, was named as London’s official logistics partner last week, becoming LOCOG’s 22nd sponsor. The tier two sponsorship provides $32 million-worth of services, including a fleet of 120 vehicles, many of them with zero-emission capability.

The deal brings London’s domestic sponsorship revenues so far to more than $900 million.

Facebook to Boost Sports Participation

Facebook, the social networking giant, has signed a $30 million deal with Sport England, one of the U.K.’s regional funding agencies, to get people playing sport.

Part of Sport England’s brief is to get an extra one million sporting participants by the time of the 2012 London Olympics.The Games are expected to be a strong focus in the four-year Facebook deal, which will offer a Sport Hub fan page offering exclusive applications that can be used by sports bodies to organize grassroots events.

Ben Bradshaw, the culture, media and sport government minister, announced the deal during his ruling Labour party’s conference in Brighton last week.

“Facebook has a unique ability to reach millions of people, young and increasingly not so young. Many of them won’t regard sport as part of their daily lives at the moment, but this pioneering and exciting partnership between the social marketing website, Sport England and sport’s governing bodies could change all that,” he said.

Facebook, which has 300 million users worldwide, is providing an in-kind investment of $8 million a year until March 2013 to cover the development of the Sport Hub. It will donate to charity the same amount any national governing body of sport or brand spends using Facebook ads to encourage people to play more sport.

Basketball Player Questions Legacy Commitment

A high-profile member of the London 2012 team has expressed serious doubts about whether Games organizers are delivering on their legacy promises.

John Amaechi, the former Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz NBA player, was a 2012 bid ambassador and is a member of LOCOG’s diversity board.

Speaking to the BBC this week, he said: “I'm not convinced the language used around legacy when bidding is the same we are using now. It was a promise and I feel implicated because I was part of the bid.”

Amaechi was in London for Tuesday’s NBA pre-season clash between Utah and Chicago Bulls, a capacity sell-out at the O2 Arena – one of London’s 2012 venues.

“I agreed to show the IOC around the Dome, as it was then, because I believed it was a valuable legacy that could be offered.

“Prior to winning the bid it was all about pretty children and the five host boroughs and a long-lasting human legacy that wasn't just about buildings. Now I'm not hearing so much from LOCOG about legacy outside of physical regeneration – outside of buildings or parks – and I think it's really important they keep their eye on the ball, making sure there is a tangible legacy for people.”

LOCOG rejected Amaechi’s concerns, a spokeswoman saying: “We are very happy to update John on the huge amount of work being done to deliver a sporting and economic legacy. The language has not changed. Everyone is committed to delivering legacy.”

‘Unlimited’ Uses Olympics to Inspire Disability Arts

Britain’s largest ever disability arts program was launched at London’s South Bank arts center Wednesday.

Called “Unlimited” and using nearly $5 million provided from Lottery and Arts Council funds, it aims to create new art works for 2012 by investing in young talent, “using the power of the Games to challenge traditional perceptions of disability and stimulate a global debate amongst young people about disability rights internationally”.

Boxing Coach Wins Knock-Out Settlement

Terry Edwards, Great Britain’s successful boxing head coach who was controversially axed after the Beijing Olympics, has won an apology and substantial damages from the Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA).

The out-of-court settlement could open the way for Edwards to return to the top job, after the recent resignation of the man who was appointed to replace him, Kevin Hickey. The payment to Edwards is reportedly worth more than $120,000, including legal costs, after the coach brought the case when AIBA chief executive Paul King said that he had been told promised bonuses for Beijing medalists had been withdrawn.

The ABA, which operated at a loss of more than $1 million last year, has yet to settle with its Olympic boxers, who claim $50,000 in unpaid bonuses.

Briefs...

... Simon Greenberg, for five years the communications director at Premiership football club Chelsea and recently appointed as chairman of London United, the venues sub-committee for England’s 2018 FIFA World Cup bid, is to leave his $400,000 a year job in December. The former sports journalist has been tipped for a senior role within LOCOG.

... In the week when the IOC discussed the future of sports coverage on the web, international federations will watch with interest the up-take for the England football team’s World Cup qualifier in the Ukraine Saturday, which will only be available via live streaming on the internet. The rights agency selling the game is looking for at least 300,000 subscribers – mostly through national newspaper websites – each paying at least $7.

... French catering giant Sodexo has landed the corporate hospitality deal for the London Olympics, paying $170 million for the rights, in partnership with the Mike Burton group. The companies had a successful joint hospitality arrangement for the 2007 Rugby World Cup and will work together at the 2011 finals.

Written by Steven Downes.