The Greatest Show on Earth

As eyes across the globe turn to Milan and Cortina and the Winter Olympic Games, brands are once again reminded of the Olympic Movement’s rare mix of global scale, emotional pull, and commercial impact. For sponsors thinking long term, the biggest opportunity is not only in 2026 but 2028, too.

On July 14, 2028, the Opening Ceremony of the 34th Olympic Games will take place in Los Angeles, bringing the Summer Games to the United States for the first time in 32 years. They will be followed by the LA28 Paralympic Games, taking place from August 15 to 27, 2028.

The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games are anticipated to be one of the biggest and most important staged events in recent memory. Following the success of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Los Angeles is expected to leverage its location in one of the world’s most vital and innovative markets to create a marketing and promotional juggernaut.

LA28 now picks up the torch with an opportunity to build a new chapter for the Olympic Movement. Having stumbled a little out of the gates on its unprecedented 10-year organizational runway, LA28 has picked up the pace in signing commercial partners. Over the past few months, LA28 has announced top level, Founding Partnerships with Honda, Starbucks and Google, reportedly at or near a $200 million sponsorship investment fee.

In addition to the LA28 organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee is banking on these Games to revitalize its global sponsorship program, known as TOP. With the recent expiration of four major sponsorships (Intel, Panasonic, Toyota and Bridgestone) following Paris 2024, the IOC announced a new sponsorship with TCL, also at a reported investment fee approaching $200 million across 4 years.

Before brands ever enter the market, a disciplined evaluation matters. Using rEvolution’s proprietary ROI model, we estimate potential return by weighing sponsorship fees against historical marketing outcomes from prior Olympic sponsors within the same business category.

The Olympic Movement: The Opportunity

So how do the LA28 and the IOC pull in these eye-watering investments from some of the world’s biggest (and marketing-savvy) brands—especially when you consider sponsor branding is extremely limited in the Games’ fields of play?

Above all else, the “Five Rings” are one of the most recognized brands in the world, and associating with what they represent can provide a powerful boost to a corporate brand’s perception and positioning. In a global survey taken immediately after Paris 2024 from some 10,000 consumers, 78% confirmed that they believed the Games are more important than ever in a divided world.

Starting with the commercial success of LA 1984, the US has been the top financial contributor (broadcast and sponsorship) to the Olympic Movement and LA28 is primed to build on this. For Paris 2024, NBC averaged 32 million viewers per day across its digital and linear broadcast and there were 412 billion engagements with Olympic content on social media platforms, an incredibly “sticky” platform for any media player. With the majority of LA28’s key competitions planned to take place in broadcast Prime Time, it’s anticipated that viewership will attain and exceed these audience numbers in 2028.

The inclusion of the Paralympics in the integrated sponsorship offer adds a new opportunity for brands to leverage this compelling competition with CSR programs. The Paralympics have become a media event in their own right and will be broadcast extensively by NBC- extending the marketing runway for LA28 sponsors to the end of the Summer in 2028.

A Multi-tiered Sponsorship Opportunity

A partnership with LA28 offers more than just sponsorship of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Through an innovative collaboration, LA28 is able to offer marketing rights to the Summer Olympics, the Paralympic Games and the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams competing in these competitions.

Beginning in 2025, an official LA28 partner will be able to promote its sponsorship of:

• The United States Olympic & Paralympic teams competing in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games.
• The United States Olympic & Paralympic teams competing in the LA 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
• The LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games, including all of their sporting and cultural competitions and events.

Three tiers of sponsorship are offered to brands interested in partnering with LA28:

No matter the level of involvement, the difference between a good sponsorship and a great one is often decided at the contract stage. With three decades of Olympic negotiation experience, rEvolution helps brands secure the right mix of rights, flexibility, and financial terms so they start with a package built to perform.

LA28-Adjacent Sponsorship Opportunities

Beyond the official LA28 program, brands can tap into Olympic energy through athlete partnerships and National Governing Body relationships. Athlete endorsements have long been a powerful way to personalize campaigns, with companies like Coca-Cola, Visa and Nike building iconic work around Olympians and Paralympians across multiple sports.

NGBs, which oversee the training and development of Team USA athletes, also offer targeted sponsorship opportunities throughout their annual competition calendars. Sports such as Track and Field, Basketball, Soccer and Ski/Snowboard attract strong fan followings and established sponsor interest, giving brands season-long visibility.

For brands seeking a more flexible or cost-efficient entry point, athlete or NGB partnerships provide meaningful ways to engage Olympic audiences ahead of LA28.

And while activating an Olympic sponsorship can feel daunting—assessing the right opportunities, securing meaningful sponsorship rights and activating impactfully—bring the unique value of the Games to life.