Following a marriage of almost 40 years, Xerox announced it will drop its global sponsorship agreement after the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games, when its contract runs out in December 2004.
The company said it has decided to refocus its marketing to other customer-facing initiatives.
Xerox became a partner of the Olympic movement in 1964 and joined TOP, the IOC’s worldwide sponsorship program, in 1994.
The company has been involved in the publication and distribution of Olympic results and provided photocopiers, supplies, services and other office equipment or organizing committees.
Xerox said it has not yet decided if it will continue sponsoring national Olympic committees.
The TOP program includes 12 multinational corporations, providing the IOC with revenues of more than $600 million (U.S.). The IOC said eight companies have already extended their sponsorship through 2008.
The IOC negotiates four-year corporate sponsorships for a reported $65 million each.
