For the first time in history, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will have “Naming Rights” from competition sites. The organization of the 2028 edition of the Sports Mega event, which will take place in Los Angeles, made the announcement on Thursday (14), pointing Comcast and Honda as the inaugural partners in the initiative.
The pilot program, developed by the organization of games with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), allows Los Angeles-2028 partners to maintain commercial names that are already used on some arenas and buy additional marketing actives.
It also opens nomenclature rights for up to 19 temporary places for world -sponsors Olympic partners and La28. The arenas whose current names are non -partners will have to follow the rules of “clean place”, ie without reference to the brand.
The CMCSA Comcast. It will lend its name to the Comcast Squash Center, where Squash will make its Olympic debut in the Court of Courthouse Square. The Honda Center in Anaheim will become the first arena to keep its name during an Olympic competition, hosting volleyball.
“Whenever you are the first to do something in the context of the Olympic Games, it is a great achievement,” said La28 president Casey Wasserman.
“It’s a great opportunity for us and it’s a great statement of support from the IOC. We believe it will be a platform, a really powerful opportunity in the commercial sector. So we’re very enthusiastic.”
Wasserman said the agreements introduce a “new commercial model” to the Olympic movement. The IOC has traditionally imposed rigid brand rules during the games, hiding corporate signs in the competition places.
The leader noted that the money from the sale of rights to the names of places will be additional to the general sponsorship revenue target already disclosed, $ 2.5 billion (R $ 13.5 billion), which La28 calls greater commercial revenue collection in sports.
“We were very conservative, we have no of this recipe [dos ‘naming rights] in our budget. So any recipe is additional profit, “said Wasserman.
“Having said that, we think it could be significant. It is a really powerful platform for brand partners to get involved with us and also with the world because it is part of the transmission. The range is really impressive,” he added.
From a practical perspective, the possibility of Sofi Stadium and Crypto.com Arena keeping their names during games will help fans navigate the city.
“As a purely geographical guidance issue, it’s an important piece of the puzzle,” said Wasserman.
Comcast, which has the broadcast rights of games in the United States through NBC and Peacock, said it will support LA28 “in all units of the company,” including coverage and exhibition of the Squash Championship.
Already Honda, according to Ed Beadle, vice president of the American Honda Motor Co., with its arena in Anaheim, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, “will enter the international stage to boost Olympic dreams.”
La28 leaders pointed out that new Naming Right partners are expected as counting countdown to the event.
