Nike has won the bidding competition to become an official tier-three partner in the sporting goods category for the Rio 2016 Olympics as part of a deal that will also include the provision of kit to the Brazilian team at the London 2012 Games.
Sports Marketing Frontiers, a sister publication of SportBusiness International, has learnt from a high-level source within a rival sporting goods company in Brazil that Nike won the tender which has yet to be announced by the Brazilian Olympic Committee.
The decision was made in January after bids were invited last year. Despite the imminence of London 2012, the contract has yet to be signed since the parties have still to finalise the kit and equipment requirements. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the official announcement can only be made when contracts are signed.
The segment of the deal relating to Rio 2016 will be valued well below some of the tier-one partnerships already signed by Rio 2016 for two reasons. Firstly, national sporting federations within Brazil will still be free to make their own deals for Olympic training and competition uniforms even though Nike, as the official partner, will hold the travel and podium uniform rights for the entire team. This already happens in Brazil, with Nike, for example, outfitting the Olympic athletics, football and basketball teams and national brand Olympikus kitting out the volleyball teams. Under this system, Adidas was the Brazilian Olympic Committee's podium uniform provider from 2000.
Secondly, the Rio 2016 partnership does not include rights to the workforce and volunteer uniforms, which will be put out for a separate tender. Nike will join Bradesco, Bradesco Seguros, Claro, Embratel and Nissan in the tier-one category for Rio 2016.
