Intel to sponsor Olympics to showcase VR, 360-degree video, AI and drone technologies

NEW YORK – Intel Corp. will sponsor the Olympics through 2024 in the company's latest bid to show off its technology through high-profile sports events. The chipmaker said it will partner with the International Olympic Committee to use Intel's technology, such as virtual reality, 360-degree video, artificial intelligence and drones, to enhance the Olympic Games. Intel is signing on at a time when global interest in the Olympics is waning. Television ratings have fallen, and cities have dropped out of the running to host the games as costs spiral. Yet for Intel, the sponsorship is part of a broad push into sports after it launched a group to explore such deals last fall, seeking to highlight initiatives other than its main computer processor business.