Team GB have announced a partnership with TikTok as the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris fast approaches.
The deal will see Olympic and Paralympic athletes from Britain produce exclusive content on the social media platform.
TikTok have also promised to provide athletes “specialist training and guidance” on creating content.
Tim Ellerton, who is Team GB’s commercial director, said the deal would allow “a new generation” of fans to connect with the Games.
“TikTok is a brilliant platform that shares our drive to amplify the stories of our extraordinary athletes, and we’re confident that this partnership will allow us to create a lasting impact,” he said.
TikTok on the march
The International Olympic Committee renewed its social media restrictions ahead of Paris 2024. Rules allow athletes to post content on their own phone without promoting products or services of sponsors.
TikTok’s head of sport and gaming UKI & Nordics, Rollo Goldstaub, said: “It makes our new partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB a perfect fit, enabling us to shine a light on the athletes’ heroics in Paris while also inspiring people from all walks of life to take part in sport and learn something new.”
The UK government has taken a cautious approach to the Chinese-owned app. It has been banned from parliamentary electronic devices for nearly a year due to security concerns.
TikTok denies allegations that it shares users’ data with the Chinese government.
Guinness replaced TikTok as the main sponsor of the Women’s Six Nations in December, cutting the deal’s planned length by two years.
Team GB is managed by the British Olympic Association, which is an independent organisation which depends on sponsorship and fundraising income.