Beijing Olympics to have three beer sponsors

Chinese brewer Tsingtao Beer is to join Yanjing Beer and Busch-Anheuser Budweiser as beer sponsors to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, counter to established practices in Olympic marketing that only one enterprise can be selected as the sponsor and enjoy exclusive marketing rights within the designated product category, state media reported. "This is an exception," Yuan Bin, director of the marketing department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad (BOCOG), reportedly said. "The IOC [International Olympic Committee] and BOCOG jointly decided to give all three enterprises the sponsor status in light of the special situation," she added, without providing more information. The three breweries enjoy the same rights and obligations, Yuan said.