Breakthrough agreement will support the IOC and Olympic Movement in achieving its 2020 vision in the new digital era.

The International Olympic Committee and the Alibaba Group have secured a long-term partnership that will last through 2028.

Joining The Olympic Partner worldwide sponsorship program, Alibaba will become the official “Cloud Services” and “E-Commerce Platform Services” partner as well as a founding partner of the Olympic Channel.

Furthermore, Alibaba’s contributions to the Olympic Movement will include a cloud computing infrastructure and cloud services to help the Games operate more efficiently, effectively and securely; the creation of a global e-commerce platform for Olympic stakeholders to participate and connect with fans seeking official licensed products, and selected sports products, on a worldwide basis; and leveraging Alibaba’s digital media to develop and customize the Olympic Channel for a Chinese audience.

“In this new digital world, Alibaba is uniquely positioned to help the IOC achieve a variety of key objectives outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, while positively shaping the future of the Olympic Movement,” says Thomas Bach, president, IOC. “This is a ground-breaking, innovative alliance, and will help drive efficiencies in the organization of the Olympic Games through 2028, whilst also supporting the global development of digital opportunities including the Olympic Channel.”

Additionally, Alibaba will support the organizers of each edition of the Olympic Games, as well as the Olympic Movement, around the world through advertising and promotional use of Olympic marks and imagery as well as marks from the National Olympic Committees.

“Alibaba is proud to empower the International Olympic Committee in a game-changing digital transformation, while moving another step closer toward our goal to serve two billion consumers,” said Daniel Zhang, chief executive officer, Alibaba Group. “We will leverage our experience in serving a young user base to help connect more young people to the Olympic Movement, helping to strengthen our brand through this historic partnership.”

Alibaba is the first company to secure a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028 and the first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.