Facing Olympic corruption charges, Dentsu out as IOC broadcast partner in Asia

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Japanese marketing giant Dentsu will no longer be a major broadcast rights holder for the IOC while facing corruption charges linked to the Tokyo Olympics. The IOC says it awarded exclusive rights for four Olympics from 2026 to 2032 to the marketing agency Infront. The 22-market Asian deal includes Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Taiwan and Vietnam but not China, Japan or South Korea. Infront is based in Switzerland and owned by Chinese corporation Wanda. The Asian rights were held by Dentsu starting with the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics through the 2024 Paris Summer Games. Dentsu also is implicated in a French investigation of suspected Olympic vote-buying.