The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizers announced they will sell naming rights for several Olympic venues, marking a historic break from the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) traditional policy of banning brand names on arenas and stadiums.
This new approach is expected to generate multiple millions of dollars in revenue, exceeding the current $6.9 billion budget for the Games.
The big picture: Contracts are already secured with founding partners Honda, which holds naming rights for the Anaheim arena hosting volleyball, and Comcast, which will name the temporary venue for squash.
- LA28 Chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman emphasized that the Games are primarily privately funded, unlike previous Olympics that often leaned on government support.
- Wasserman described this naming rights strategy as a paradigm shift necessary in the unique context of hosting American Olympics as private enterprises.
- Up to 19 temporary venue naming rights could potentially be sold, with the IOC’s biggest sponsors (called TOP sponsors) given first priority to secure these deals.
Go deeper: No venues will be renamed if existing agreements are in place, such as with SoFi (opening/closing ceremonies, swimming) or Intuit (basketball). If those sponsors do not participate, no alternate sponsor can replace the naming rights.
- Iconic venues like the LA Coliseum, Rose Bowl, and Dodger Stadium are excluded from this naming rights program due to strict IOC advertising rules that forbid branding on the field of play.
