(ATR) McDonald’s is ending its run as an Olympic sponsor with the traditional athletes' feasts and a small restaurant in the Gangneung Olympic Park.
A mainstay at the Olympics since 1976, the company agreed in 2017 to mutually end its TOP Sponsorship with the IOC. The agreement was originally set to run through the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
The company's presence in the Olympic Movement has declined steadily since the Sochi 2014 Olympics. There have been no McDonald’s restaurants in the Main Press Center complex for the past two Games, and the company did not sell hot food at the Rio 2016 Olympic Park.
Revenues for the company slipped after Sochi with executive working to institute a turnaround plan. Viewer numbers for the Rio 2016 Olympics in markets such as the United States also declined. Reports from CNNMoney said that there would not be Olympic advertisements in the U.S. from McDonald’s.
In Korea the company promoted a limited edition PyeongChang 2018 burger, although it was not available to Olympic visitors.
"We are proud of everything that we have achieved as an Olympic sponsor but as a part of our global growth plan, we are reconsidering all aspects of our business," McDonald's said in a statement to CNNMoney.
Around the Rings paid a visit to the McDonald’s restaurant in the Gangneung Park, which is in the shape of a meal from the fast food company. Visitors have come in droves throughout the Olympics, even waiting in long lines in the cold night for the chance to purchase a Big Mac.
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses pic.twitter.com/gVs6zGfcB2
— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) February 17, 2018ATR is still waiting to find out how many Big Macs or visitors the Gangneung restaurant has served.
There were no McDonald’s press representatives at the restaurant, although a manager said she was authorized to pass along questions to a spokesperson. Despite multiple requests those questions have yet to be answered.
Written by Aaron Bauerin Gangneung
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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