In August 2023, PKP Intercity entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Polish Olympic Committee for the years 2023-2027. As part of this, PKP Intercity received the rights to use titles, including: “Sponsor of the Polish Olympic Team for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris 2024”, “Sponsor of the Polish Youth Team for the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon 2024”, “Sponsor of the Polish Olympic Committee” and “Sponsor of the Polish Olympic Movement”. As part of this, the Polish Olympic Committee was to provide marketing services to the carrier.
As we reported, the four-year contract was worth PLN 14 million.
Loss of trust and marketing losses
On Tuesday morning, PKP Intercity announced that it was terminating the POC contract with immediate effect. – The sponsorship agreement concluded on August 16, 2023, which was to be valid in the years 2023-2027 between PKP Intercity and the Polish Olympic Committee, ceases to be valid as of today. PKP Intercity has terminated this cooperation with immediate effect, the company announced.
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The carrier explained that the reason for terminating the contract was the loss of confidence in the Polish Olympic Committee resulting from the “significant circumstances from the point of view of PKP Intercity” and the fact that “the failure to provide all services stated in the sponsorship agreement of PKP Intercity by the Polish Olympic Committee resulted in marketing losses for PKP Intercity.”
PKP Intercity also drew attention to the controversy surrounding POC activists, which arose shortly after the end of the Paris Olympics. According to the carrier, this information “They harm the media image of PKP Intercity that has been built over the years.”
Orlen is also considering cooperation
A few days ago, the media reported that Polskie Porty Lotnicze was also ending its sponsorship cooperation with the Polish Olympic Committee. As part of this, representatives of the Polish Olympic Committee were able to enjoy a special VIP check-in at Warsaw Chopin Airport. Radio ZET journalists found out that this zone was used 35 times by the chairman of the committee, Radosław Piesiewicz, and close members of his family. The service was offered on a barter basis on an “exchange of benefits”. However, despite the provisions of the contract, athletes flying to the Paris Olympic Games were not allowed to leave this zone.
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The contract between the PPL and the Polish Olympic Committee expired on 3 September.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mariusz Gierszewski from Radio ZET announced on the X platform that the fuel company Orlen has stopped sponsoring transfers to PKOL (it has been a sponsor of the Committee for 7 years).
– We are currently reviewing the terms of cooperation with PKOL, including issues of additional financing. Until we receive comprehensive explanations, we will not inform you about the details of the negotiations – Orlen’s press office told Wirtualnemedia.pl.
Sławomir Nitras, Minister of Sports and Tourism, announced after the Paris Olympic Games that he would order an audit of the Polish Olympic Committee’s finances, including: in terms of the Committee’s expenditure of money from the state budget and the State Treasury’s companies. Control activities are already carried out, among others: National Tax Administration and the Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski – as the legal supervisory authority.