How did the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics affect sponsorships. What challenges did sponsors face in preparing for the 2021 Games. Which companies are the top Olympic sponsors by spending. How much do Olympic athletes actually earn for competing.
The Bumpy Road to Tokyo: Olympic Sponsorship Challenges
The journey to the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games has been fraught with uncertainty for sponsors. The year-long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic threw carefully laid marketing plans into disarray. Even as the event drew near, key decisions like whether spectators would be allowed remained up in the air until the eleventh hour.
Despite these hurdles, the Olympics continue to be a major draw for advertisers. NBCUniversal reports that over 120 advertisers have signed on for the Tokyo Games – a 20% increase from the 2016 Rio Olympics. This surge in interest comes even as organizers announced that no spectators would be allowed at events due to rising COVID-19 cases in Tokyo.
Olympic Sponsorship Tiers
Olympic sponsorships are divided into four tiers:
- Worldwide Olympic Partners
- Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold Partners
- Tokyo 2020 Olympic Official Partners
- Tokyo 2020 Olympic Official Supporters
Worldwide Olympic Partners commit to multi-year contracts spanning multiple games, while the other tiers are specific to the Tokyo 2020 (now 2021) Olympics. This tiered structure has led to varying levels of flexibility and challenges for sponsors in the face of the pandemic-induced postponement.
Adapting Strategies: How Sponsors Pivoted for Tokyo 2021
The postponement forced many sponsors to radically rethink their marketing approaches. Timo Lumme, the International Olympic Committee’s director of TV and marketing services, acknowledged the scale of the challenge: “We’ve had to shift the whole marketing superstructure, which in our world runs in four-year periods and ends in the year of a summer Games – it should have ended in 2020. We had to extend some sponsors’ rights, extend the period of activation.”
This extension of rights and activation periods was crucial for sponsors who had already invested heavily in Olympic-themed campaigns. However, it also created logistical and financial challenges, particularly for those sponsors tied specifically to the Tokyo Games rather than the broader Olympic movement.
The Impact on Different Sponsor Tiers
Worldwide Olympic Partners, with their long-term commitments, had little choice but to adapt their strategies for the delayed Games. These include major brands like Coca-Cola, Airbnb, Alibaba Group, and GE. However, as we’ll see in the spending data, being a top-tier sponsor doesn’t necessarily correlate with being a top spender.
For lower-tiered sponsors focused solely on Tokyo 2020, the uncertainty around spectator attendance and potential cancellation led to significant stress and complaints about unmet needs. These sponsors had to remain flexible, often holding multiple contingency plans until final decisions were made.
Olympic Sponsorship by the Numbers: Who’s Spending What?
According to data from MediaRadar, Olympic sponsors spent a staggering $2.3 billion in the first six months of 2021. This figure provides insight into the massive financial commitment these companies are making to associate their brands with the Olympic movement.
Top 5 Olympic Sponsors by Spending
- Procter & Gamble (P&G)
- Toyota
- Samsung
- Coca-Cola
These five companies account for a whopping 93% of all Olympic sponsor spending. Notably, P&G alone is responsible for 49% of the total spend, showcasing the consumer goods giant’s massive investment in Olympic marketing.
Surprising Spending Patterns
Interestingly, being a Worldwide Olympic Partner doesn’t necessarily translate to being a top spender. Companies like Alibaba, Atos, Bridgestone, Dow Chemical, GE, Intel, Omega, Panasonic, and Visa – all Worldwide Olympic Sponsors – collectively spent just $50.7 million in the first half of 2021. This represents only 2% of all Olympic sponsor spending.
Another surprising finding is that Google, the third-highest spender, is not a Worldwide Olympic Partner. Instead, they fall into the fourth tier as an Official Supporter, demonstrating that lower-tier sponsors can still make significant financial commitments to Olympic marketing.
The Financial Landscape of Olympic Sponsorship
The Olympic Partner (TOP) program, responsible for securing multi-tiered sponsorships, is projected to raise over $3 billion in the quadrennium from 2021 to 2024. This marks a significant increase from the $2 billion raised in the 2017-2020 period, indicating growing interest from sponsors despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
NBCUniversal, which holds the broadcast rights for the Olympics in the United States, has invested heavily in the Games. The network has paid $7.7 billion for the rights to broadcast the Olympics through 2032, underscoring the long-term value placed on Olympic content.
The Athlete Compensation Paradox
Despite the billions of dollars flowing through Olympic sponsorships and broadcast rights, individual athletes often see little direct financial benefit from competing. Many Olympians receive minimal compensation for their participation, relying instead on national Olympic committee stipends, personal sponsorships, or crowdfunding to support their training and competition expenses.
This disparity between the money generated by the Olympics and the compensation received by athletes has been a point of ongoing debate and criticism within the sports world.
Marketing Strategies: How Sponsors Are Leveraging the Olympics
With the unique challenges posed by the Tokyo 2021 Games, sponsors have had to get creative with their marketing strategies. Many are focusing on digital and social media campaigns to engage audiences who won’t be able to attend the events in person.
P&G’s Approach: Leading with Positivity
As the top spender among Olympic sponsors, P&G is using its substantial ad time to promote positive messaging. Their #LeadWithLove campaign aims to connect their brands with uplifting stories and values associated with the Olympic movement.
Adapting to a Spectator-Free Olympics
With the announcement that no spectators will be allowed at the Tokyo venues, sponsors have had to pivot their on-site activation plans. Many are shifting focus to create compelling content for broadcast and streaming audiences, leveraging athlete partnerships and behind-the-scenes access to bring the Olympic experience to viewers at home.
The Future of Olympic Sponsorship Post-Tokyo
As the world watches how the Tokyo Games unfold, the lessons learned from this unique situation will likely shape Olympic sponsorships for years to come. The resilience and adaptability demonstrated by sponsors in the face of unprecedented challenges may lead to more flexible sponsorship models in the future.
Potential Long-Term Changes
- Increased focus on digital and virtual experiences
- More flexible sponsorship contracts to account for unforeseen circumstances
- Greater emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility in sponsorship activations
- Potential restructuring of sponsorship tiers to better align with actual spending and activation levels
The success or struggles of various sponsorship strategies during Tokyo 2021 will provide valuable insights for both the International Olympic Committee and future sponsors as they plan for upcoming Games.
Beyond Tokyo: Looking Ahead to Paris 2024 and Beyond
While much attention is focused on the immediate challenges of Tokyo 2021, sponsors and organizers are already looking ahead to future Olympic Games. The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and the Los Angeles 2028 Games present new opportunities and potential challenges for sponsors.
Evolving Sponsorship Landscape
As consumer behaviors and media consumption habits continue to change, Olympic sponsorships are likely to evolve as well. We may see:
- Increased integration of emerging technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality in sponsor activations
- Greater emphasis on year-round engagement rather than just event-specific campaigns
- More collaborations between sponsors to create unique, multi-brand experiences
- Enhanced focus on sustainability and social impact initiatives tied to sponsorships
The lessons learned from Tokyo 2021 will undoubtedly inform these future strategies, potentially reshaping the Olympic sponsorship landscape for years to come.
The Role of Social Media in Olympic Sponsorships
Social media platforms have become increasingly crucial for Olympic sponsors to reach and engage with audiences. With the restrictions on in-person attendance in Tokyo, these digital channels are more important than ever.
Leveraging Athlete Influencers
Many sponsors are partnering with individual athletes to create authentic, behind-the-scenes content that resonates with fans. This approach allows brands to tap into the personal stories and journeys of Olympians, creating emotional connections with audiences.
Real-Time Engagement
Social media also enables sponsors to react quickly to memorable moments and trending topics during the Games. This agility can lead to viral marketing successes, amplifying the impact of sponsorship investments.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are becoming key battlegrounds for sponsor visibility, with brands competing to create the most shareable and engaging content tied to Olympic events and athletes.
Measuring ROI: How Sponsors Evaluate Olympic Success
With billions of dollars invested in Olympic sponsorships, companies are keen to measure the return on their investments. However, quantifying the impact of Olympic marketing can be challenging, especially in the unique circumstances of Tokyo 2021.
Key Performance Indicators
Sponsors typically look at a variety of metrics to evaluate their Olympic campaigns:
- Brand awareness and recall
- Social media engagement and reach
- Sales lift during and after the Games
- TV ad impressions and digital view-through rates
- Positive brand sentiment and association with Olympic values
The absence of on-site spectators in Tokyo may shift more focus to digital and broadcast metrics, potentially changing how sponsors value different aspects of their Olympic partnerships in the future.
Long-Term Brand Building vs. Short-Term Sales
Many Olympic sponsors view their investments as part of a long-term brand-building strategy rather than expecting immediate sales results. The global reach and positive associations of the Olympics can provide lasting benefits to brand perception and customer loyalty, even if short-term sales impacts are less pronounced.
As the Tokyo Games unfold, sponsors will be closely monitoring these various metrics to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns and inform future Olympic marketing strategies.
Who are the Top Sponsors at the 2021 Olympic Games?
After a yearlong delay, the Tokyo Olympics are almost here.
Sports fans are eager to watch Simone Biles, Allyson Felix, and Adam Peaty pretty much defy physics, while sponsors are ready to measure their ROI.
The leadup to the Olympics has been complicated. Not only was it delayed an entire year due to the pandemic, but organizers didn’t decide whether or not spectators would be allowed until last week.
Though attendees won’t be allowed due to rising cases of COVID in Tokyo, the Olympic Games will still bring in a huge amount of sponsorship revenue.
We encourage you to subscribe to our blog for the latest data surrounding the advertising industry. We will provide daily updates as COVID-19 continues to make its mark on the US economy.
It’s been a bumpy road getting to the Olympics for sponsors
For most 2021 Olympic Games sponsors, the international event presented a tremendous opportunity, but also a ton of unpredictability.
Some brands had no choice but to stick with sponsoring this year’s games, because they are locked into a multi-year contract.
For context, Olympics sponsors are broken down into four tiers: Worldwide Olympic Partners, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold Partners, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Official Partners, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Official Supporters.
Worldwide Olympic Partners are sponsors committed to multi-year contracts, while other tiers are tied to just the Tokyo Games. Worldwide Olympic Partners include Coca-Cola, Airbnb, Alibaba Group, GE, and more. As we’ll see in the MediaRadar data below, sponsors in this tier aren’t necessarily the biggest spenders.
It’s been a tough preparation process for other sponsors connected only to the Tokyo Games. Because event organizers took a long time to announce that there would be no spectators, lower tiered-sponsors felt a lot of uncertainty around their campaigns and complained of unmet needs.
“We’ve had to shift the whole marketing superstructure,” explained Timo Lumme, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC)director of TV and marketing services to SportsPro.
“Which in our world runs in four-year periods and ends in the year of a summer Games – it should have ended in 2020. We had to extend some sponsors’ rights, extend the period of activation.”
The IOC admits that it’s been complicated as they’ve tried focusing on getting to the Tokyo finish line, while also needing to address long-term reorganization.
When it comes to TV, however, NBCUniversal feels the excitement from sponsors using this specific format. This year Tokyo attracted more than 120 advertisers, which is a 20% increase from the 2016 Summer Olympics, per Adage.
Longterm, The Olympic Partner (TOP) program, which is responsible for securing multitiered sponsorships of the games, is set to raise over $3B in the quadrennium from 2021 to 2024, up from $2B in 2017-2020, per the SportPro article above.
It’s going to be an exciting Olympics, and sponsors will probably be relieved just to get their campaigns out there.
MediaRadar Insights
It goes without saying that sponsors of the Olympic games are highly recognizable.
They include: Coca-Cola, Airbnb, Bridgestone, Asics, Samsung, P&G, Google, and others.
Notably missing from this lineup is McDonald’s. While they might purchase TV ad space from NBC, they are not an official sponsor of this year’s summer Olympic games.
This group of sponsors spent $2.3B in the first six months of the year, of which P&G spent 49%. P&G is using their ad time as a platform to promote positive messaging (e.g. #LeadWithLove)
The top five spending sponsors of the Tokyo Summer Games are:
- P&G
- Toyota
- Samsung
- Coca-Cola.
Their spend accounts for 93% of all Olympic sponsor spend. Though this can be expected from these brands, the surprising thing is that Google is the only sponsor in this group that isn’t a Worldwide Olympic sponsor. Instead, they’re an Official Supporter, the 4th tier of sponsors.
Worldwide Olympic Sponsors aren’t necessarily the biggest spenders even though they have multi-year contracts. Alibaba, Atos, Bridgestone, Dow Chemical, GE, Intel, Omega, Panasonic, and Visa are all Worldwide Olympic Sponsors, but their total spending over the first six months of 2021 totaled $50.7mm, which is only 2% of all Olympic sponsor spending.
The remaining 5% of spend ($115mm) is split across 30 companies.
As the Olympics begin, we’ll be watching our favorite athletes, but also top spending advertisers display their ad campaigns they’ve been waiting on for a long time.
For more updates like this, stay tuned. Subscribe to our blog for more updates on coronavirus and its mark on the economy.
How much do Olympics athletes get paid for their talent? Not much.
There is a ton of money to be made at the Olympics, even in a year like this. NBC has paid $7.7 billion for broadcasting rights to show the Olympics through 2032, and it’s already sold $1.25 billion in ads for the Tokyo games. The Associated Press estimates the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which runs the Olympic Games, stands to make $3 billion to $4 billion on television rights for the delayed 2020 Olympics. One NBC executive said they believe this could be the most profitable Games ever.
And yet, much of that wealth won’t be shared with the event’s most valuable assets: the athletes themselves.
Some 11,000 athletes are competing in the 2020 Olympic Games, and 4,000 athletes in the Paralympics (beginning in late August). There are more than 600 athletes just on Team USA’s Olympic and Paralympic roster. (For the purposes of this story, I’m going to focus mainly on American athletes.) The vast majority of those athletes are not rich, or close to it.
You cannot watch TV or exist on the internet right now without running into a Simone Biles ad.
The Olympic gold medal gymnast got plenty of well-deserved, high-paying endorsement deals lined up. But she is the exception, not the rule. According to one survey of elite athletes from 48 countries, more than half are financially unstable. And that survey was taken before the pandemic, which made many competitors’ financial situations even worse because so many competitions (that often translate to money) were canceled.
“As impressive as someone like Simone Biles is or Michael Phelps has been, their stories get told and their achievements get reported on and analyzed. But there are incredible stories of people who really have to go work in regular jobs, depending on where they are in the world, to earn money just so they can live, and then they’re doing their training on top of it,” said Lee Igel, a clinical professor at the NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sport.
Athletes like Simone Biles (far right) and Michael Phelps (not pictured) are outliers with their outsize endorsement deals.
The financial reality for most Olympic athletes is much harsher.Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The romanticized vision of Olympic athletes is that they’re unpaid amateurs just doing it for the love of sport. Since the 1970s, the international and US rules around amateurism and sponsorships have relaxed to make way for athletes to be compensated for their efforts and achievements. Financial restrictions have been dropped, and professional athletes are allowed to compete in almost all of the Olympic events, save wrestling.
Still, there’s room for improvement. US athletes striving toward the Olympics are generally left to their own devices in terms of funding training and travel for most of their careers, and even once they reach the top tier, they might receive a stipend that, while helpful, is not enough for most to live on. Lucrative sponsorship deals are not abundant. Big brands aren’t falling over themselves to make giant deals in sports such as judo or archery in the same way they might be for swimming or gymnastics, or take a risk on an athlete that might not make the Olympic cut.
“If you’re not a household name, you’re probably not on the top of the endorsement food chain,” said John Grady, a sports law professor at the University of South Carolina.
Moreover, some of the restrictions around athlete sponsorships and endorsements make it harder for lesser-known competitors to capitalize on their Olympic moment in the sun. Under Rule 40, put in place by the IOC in 1991, only official Olympic sponsors and partners — who have presumably spent a lot of money to be in that category — get full-throated rights around Olympic and athlete marketing during the Games. Every other company or brand is subject to a sort of blackout period just before, during, and after the Olympics. While loosened this year, this is still a convoluted system that some experts and athletes say keeps current competitors from being able to strike more deals with non-Olympic partner brands and really cash in.
“If you’re not a household name, you’re probably not on the top of the endorsement food chain”
“It’s a grave disservice and injustice to the athletes that they’re not able to really capitalize when they have the opportunity, every four years, to be on a global stage,” said Sanya Richards-Ross, who won gold in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and has been very outspoken about athletes’ rights in the past.
Even though she was one of the lucky ones who got big endorsement deals, she saw how it affected her teammates.
“The athletes that compete in the Olympics are not amateur, they do it full time. And who else would want to do something full time they’re great at and not get paid?” she continued. After all, she pointed out, everyone else — the IOC, the networks, and even the officials and support staff — is making money. The IOC doesn’t even award prize money for the gold medal.
Olympic glory means being rich or getting a job
Every time the Olympics come around, there is a multitude of stories about athletes in dire financial straits — a rower living close to the poverty line, a speed skater applying for food stamps, dozens of athletes starting GoFundMe drives to try to fund their ambitions. And these are people who have more or less made it in the sport, not to mention those who are still up-and-comers.
“They’re getting slammed up and down to be able to stay in the sport they love,” said John Nubani, a sports agent.
It’s not necessarily a secret that many athletes aren’t rich and that training for an elite sport is expensive. For years, Home Depot ran ads about how many Olympians it employed, drawing attention to the idea that many people had jobs while they were competing. Still, many Americans assume that athletes get more financial support than they do.
“It can be a tremendous honor to represent your country, and you can also be financially rewarded for your efforts”
Many countries have a ministry of sports that helps to fund their Olympic programs, but that’s not the case in the United States. Instead, it’s run by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), a private entity established in 1978 that funds itself through sponsorships and a cut of broadcast rights. Each sport is overseen by a national governing body, like USA Track & Field or USA Wrestling, which fundraise on their own, too.
Dionne Koller, director of the University of Baltimore’s Center for Sport and the Law, noted that there’s something individualistic and, indeed, capitalistic about America’s approach to the Olympics — and intentionally so.
The current setup was devised in the midst of the Cold War during the ’70s, when it was determined that the private sector should be in charge of fostering athletes, she explained. At the time, many Soviet countries were already secretly paying their athletes like professionals anyway, and the US was looking for a way to compete. “It’s very consistent with American norms; it’s a very American system. It’s individuals pursuing individual dreams, and in doing so, they certainly wear the uniform of Team USA, but it’s individual, it’s not collective,” she said.
US athletes are still generally much better off financially than many of their counterparts worldwide — there’s a reason the US wins so many medals. But it’s striking that the representatives on the world stage of this incredibly rich country aren’t well compensated. And because of the financial barriers, many athletes with potential likely get screened out.
The USOPC has in place programs to support athletes, such as grants to the national governing bodies and to top performers.
National governing bodies often provide stipends to their top athletes, but those can vary from sport to sport (or even be cut). According to USA Today, track and field stipends top out at about $1,000 a month, and for weightlifters, it can range from $750 to $4,000.
For Olympic wrestlers, stipends for the three top-ranked team members across each category are $1,000 a month for the top-ranked athlete, $600 for second, and $300 for third. It’s something, but it’s not a living wage.
“As a general rule in wrestling, most of our athletes that are trying to make the Olympic team are poor. They’re putting off their careers and their moneymaking until after their Olympic dream is met or not,” said Steve Fraser, who is in charge of donor and alumni relations at USA Wrestling.
Tamyra Mensah-Stock celebrates a win over Kennedy Blades in their freestyle finals match during the US Olympic wrestling team trials in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 3.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
It’s almost a given that competitors are going to have to work. Fraser knows what it’s like — he is a former Olympic wrestler and won a gold medal in 1984. He worked as a sheriff’s deputy in Michigan while training. “I did my training before work at 6 am and I did my training after work,” he said. “Luckily, I had a supportive sheriff.”
Even when athletes win at the Olympics, the award money isn’t life-changing. (And again, the IOC doesn’t give out prize money for medals at all.) The USOPC’s “Operation Gold” hands out $37,500 to gold medalists, $22,500 to silver medalists, and $15,000 to bronze in both the Olympics and, this year for the first time, the Paralympics. Bonuses depend on the prize money from the national governing body: USA Wrestling gives $250,000 to gold medalists. USA Track & Field, by comparison, in 2015 agreed to give gold medalists $25,000.
The USOPC says that much of its budget goes toward programs and activities that support athletes, such as training sites, media promotion, and high-performance programs aimed at people who have the best shot at winning.
Olympic organizers and governing bodies say they’ve struggled financially themselves, especially in the pandemic. The Associated Press estimates that the majority of US governing bodies applied for pandemic-related PPP loans — USA Wrestling, for example, got $680,000. And the USOPC said it would need to cut its budget amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Some of this has come with controversy: USA Track & Field came under scrutiny over the size of its CEO’s pay amid layoffs in 2020, and it was reported that the USOPC unsuccessfully lobbied lawmakers for money in a stimulus package from Congress.
Moreover, given all of the money that the Games and Olympic committee and governing bodies take in through sponsorships, donations, and broadcasting rights, it’s hard not to ask whether athletes could and should get a bigger piece of the pie.
The tangled web of Olympic sponsorship rules
Sprinter Christina Clemons earned a ticket to Tokyo when she placed third in the 100-meter hurdles at the US Olympic Trials in June while wearing Cool Ranch Doritos earrings.
Days later, Doritos announced that Clemons would be its latest partner, and she thanked the brand for making their relationship official.
During the Olympics, however, it’s likely that Clemons and Doritos will face limits on how much they can talk about each other and in what capacity. Doritos’ parent company is PepsiCo, which is not an official Olympic partner. Its direct competitor, Coca-Cola is. A representative for Doritos didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Under the aforementioned Rule 40 out of the IOC, athletes are limited to how their names, images, or performances can be used during the Olympics without the IOC’s permission. The same goes for certain Olympic language and symbols, such as the rings. The rule’s aim is to “preserve the unique nature of the Olympic Games by preventing over-commercialization. (Which might confuse the people who take in all the Olympics-sanctioned advertising.) It’s also to protect Olympic partners from “ambush marketing” by a rival.
Many athletes and experts have complained that it keeps athletes from capitalizing on their Olympic success by barring them from seeking out their own sponsors.
The rule has been controversial, especially among athletes at the Summer Olympics. In 2012, London Olympians protested the rule with a #WeDemandChange campaign calling for adjustments. The rule was relaxed slightly heading into the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but in the eyes of many, it wasn’t enough.
“Rule 40 has tried — and I’m using air quotes — to give more opportunities to lesser-known athletes, but that has not quite materialized in any real way,” Grady, the South Carolina professor, said.
For Tokyo, the rules are relaxed even more, but they’re still quite restrictive. US athletes can post seven thank-you messages referencing their personal sponsors during the Games, and their sponsors can congratulate them one time. But the language they can all use is limited. It has to be generic and can’t use any Olympic or Paralympic intellectual property, meaning no Olympic rings or “Tokyo 2020” or “Team USA.
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An example of the guidelines put forth by the USOPC on the types of ads that are and aren’t allowed during the Olympics. USOPC Tokyo 2020 Rule 40 Guidance
Another example of the Rule 40 guidelines.USOPC Tokyo 2020 Rule 40 Guidance
How effective the rule changes will be for helping lesser-known athletes get more sponsorships during their moment in the spotlight remains to be seen. Brands may not want to take a risk on these athletes, and companies and athletes may be afraid of accidentally breaking the rules. Richards-Ross said she still believes organizers could loosen their grip more. “It’s made to make it too difficult for athletes to be able to profit,” she said.
She was a leader of the #WeDemandChange campaign in 2012 and said, given her experience, some competitors may be afraid to speak out. “I can’t tell you how many emails I got from people telling me that I should be grateful to represent Team USA and if I’m going to be money-hungry to go back to Jamaica,” she said.
This type of public sentiment — that the Olympics are for amateurs who should just feel honored to be there — provides cover for the IOC and USOPC in the way they financially treat athletes. “It’s unfair that they’re able to keep that sentiment that it solely is an honor. I don’t think those two things are mutually exclusive. It can be a tremendous honor to represent your country, and you can also be financially rewarded for your efforts.”
US organizers are piloting a new athlete marketing platform meant to better help athletes earn money. But how lucrative it will be is an open question. For example, athletes can opt into a group marketing option and receive $1,250 a year for the USOPC for appearances in marketing campaigns. It’s a decent bonus, not a livable paycheck. “There needs to be a better way for athletes to go out and make money, but this isn’t it,” said Brant Feldman, senior managing partner at American Group Management, which represents Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Sports are a multibillion-dollar industry. So why don’t we treat athletes like it?
The US is entering the Olympics on the heels of some major developments in college athlete compensation. A Supreme Court decision opened the door to student-athlete payments, and an NCAA rule change allowed athletes to monetize their personal brands and seek out endorsements. These advances have been years in the making, and could potentially put wind in the sails of the conversation around how Olympians are paid. But one big barrier is that the Olympics are intermittent. While the athletes spend day in and day out training, the issue only arises among the public when the competition is actually happening.
I asked experts what they thought could be done to boost athletes financially and fix the system, and the answers ran the gamut.
Feldman, rather unsurprisingly, thinks it would be better if more athletes had agents. But he also suggested they should be able to bargain collectively or even establish some kind of a floor rate for appearing in commercials and advertisements, like SAG-AFTRA has for entertainers.
“It would be really great if there were some sort of entity, like a union, that would be negotiating on behalf of all of the athletes for a floor,” he said. “That at least, to me, gives Olympic and Paralympic athletes a better idea of what the minimum should be for any of the content that gets shot across the board.”
Canadian athletes take pictures in front of Olympic rings near the entrance to the Olympic Village in Tokyo.Michael Kappeler/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
Nubani, an agent who works mainly with track and field athletes, said he believes it comes down to brands or very wealthy people being willing to put more money into USA Track & Field — and that money being distributed to athletes. He also emphasized the need for prize money for medalists. “If you’re not a superstar and you didn’t do something really specifically special at the Olympics … you may not get that big sponsor deal, you may not get the Wheaties box, you may not get the things other superstar athletes will get,” he said.
Koller, who was recently named to the USOPC Commission appointed by the US Senate, suggested there could be a discussion about whether the federal government should, like other countries, do more to support sports, not only for elite athletes but for those on the way there. “When you wear Team USA, you’re giving a public good,” Koller said. Or, at the very least, athletes competing in the same sport should be required to receive the same compensation, which is part of legislation introduced in Congress.
The 2020 Olympics are going to be quite different from Olympics past, including their economics. Brands looking to sell to a local audience are stuck without spectators because of Covid-19; organizers won’t be able to hobnob with sponsors like they would in normal times. One constant: The athletes remain the stars of the show. And it’s important to think about whether they should be paid more like it.
The Olympics sponsors that made the biggest impact in the US and UK – YouGov Sport
With the Tokyo Olympics having drawn to a close on August 8, we examine the sponsors that gained the most traction among fans of the Games in the United States and United Kingdom.
For the analysis, we choose from a pool of brands in the US and UK that are associated either with the Tokyo Olympics as global partners of the IOC or as sponsors for Team USA or Team GB. We then zero in on the five brands that registered the biggest improvement in their month-over-month Buzz scores in each market between July 7 – August 5, as per data tracked by YouGov BrandIndex. The Buzz metric is a reflection of whether consumers have heard positive or negative things about a brand.
We dive into the data to see the degree to which these brands made a positive impact on Olympics fans compared to the overall population. In this article, we define Olympics fans as those who are somewhat interested in the event or regard the event as one of their top interests.
Top five Olympics sponsors in the US
Team USA finished first in the medal table after a close contest with China, bagging 39 golds to the latter’s 38. Brands associated with the Tokyo event or with the US team also reaped rewards.
As they would have hoped, between July 7 and August 5, they generated a higher Buzz score among American Olympics fans, compared to the general population.
Broadcast network NBC, which aired the Olympics in the US, registered the sharpest spike in Buzz scores among American Olympics followers. The brand scored more than twice as much among US adults with a strong interest in the Summer Olympics as compared to the general population (9 vs 4). Financial services brand Visa also registered a significantly higher Buzz score among the Olympics fans subset (21 vs 16). Chip manufacturers Intel, tire-maker Bridgestone and Japanese electronics giant Panasonic each gained a 2-point uplift among Olympics fans over the general American population.
Where the Buzz score is a net score of whether consumers have heard positive or negative things about a brand, Impression scores reveal what consumers think of brands themselves. In this metric each of the top five US Olympics sponsors (picked on the basis of highest month-over-month uplift in Buzz scores among Olympics fans) over-performed among fans of the Games, and to more of an extent than they saw in their Buzz scores.
It is worth noting the four of the five brands that feature in the US analysis (Visa, Intel, Bridgestone and Panasonic) are partners of the Tokyo Olympics, whereas NBC is a Team USA sponsor.
Top five Olympics sponsors in the UK
Much like in the US, and as they would hope for, brands in the UK that were associated with Team Great Britain at the Olympics tended to resonate more with fans of the sporting mega-event compared to the overall population over the last month. British Airways, for example, created twice as much Buzz among Olympics fans (6 vs 3). The story wasn’t uniform, though – despite registering a strong month-over-month uptick in its Buzz score, Samsung did not outperform among fans of the Games as compared to the general population.
Across the board, though, the brands showed a particularly impressive uplift in Impression scores. Beverage giant Coca-Cola witnessed a 6-point uplift among fans of the Games, while tire-manufacturer Bridgestone outperformed by 4 points with this group. Team GB’s official kit sponsor Adidas gained a 7-point uplift among Olympics followers, while Samsung enjoyed a 5-point positive difference.
In the UK analysis, Samsung, Coca-Cola and Bridgestone are partners of the Tokyo Olympics, whereas Adidas and British Airways are sponsors of Team Great Britain.
While not officially a partner of Team GB or the IOC at the Tokyo Olympics, the National Lottery ran a campaign during the event to highlight the work it does to financially support athletes that represent the country. The initiative reflected in the brand’s Impression score, recording 10 points among fans of the Olympics versus 3 among all UK adults.
Methodology:
Buzz Score
YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Buzz score is based on the questions: “Over the past two weeks, which of the following brands have you heard something positive about?” And “Which of the following have you heard something negative about over the past two weeks?” and delivered as a net score between –100 and +100. Scores are based on an average sample size of 1771 (UK) adults and 1931 (US) adults between July 7 and August 5, 2021. Figures are based on a 30-day average.
Impression
Impression score is based on the questions: “Overall, which of the following brands do you have a positive impression of?” And “Which of the following brands do you a negative impression of?” and delivered as a net score between –100 and + 100. Scores are based on an average sample size of 1771 (UK) adults and 1931 (US) adults between July 7 and August 5. Figures are based on a 30-day average. Learn more about BrandIndex.
Olympics aren’t slam dunk for sponsors this year
The decision to move forward with the Olympics has put sponsors in a tricky position because the games are no longer the predictable investment that they were pre-pandemic.
The latest: Toyota — one of the Olympics’ top sponsors — announced Monday that it will not be airing TV commercials in Japan related to the Games. Executives for Japan’s biggest automaker will also not be attending Friday’s opening ceremony.
Why it matters: Companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars for the right to be associated with the Olympics, a singular opportunity to reach a global audience for weeks and months. But a global health crisis and local controversy over this year’s games are leaving sponsors in a much tougher spot than they anticipated.
State of play: The opening ceremonies are Friday.
Never mind that domestic sponsors like Asahi and Nippon Telegraph will have hardly any customers or visitors to sell beer to or impress with new AR technologies.
- Sponsors also have to contend with being tied closely to public perception that the Games may be a super spreader event, and reports suggest some have been frustrated with the pace at which officials have made decisions.
Between the lines: All of the unprecedented unknowns underpin how careful companies are being with positioning the impact of their sponsorships.
- An Airbnb spokesperson tells Axios that the company’s partnership, which includes offering housing and travel grants, “was designed to specifically support the individual Olympic and Paralympic athletes and not organized around any particular city or Games.”
- An Asahi spokesperson says that “the decision to ban spectators has little impact on our sales.”
- The International Olympic Committee says its partners have been “very supportive” in the group’s decision to focus on the health and safety of athletes, officials, and the people of Japan.
How it works: There are 15 “TOP” (The Olympic Partner) sponsors — Coke, Bridgestone, Omega, Toyota, Visa, Panasonic, Dow, Airbnb, Alibaba, GE, P&G, Atos, Intel, Allianz and Samsung — that pay for multi-year marketing rights and exclusive deals with the International Olympic Committee.
- The IOC then distributes 90% of combined sponsor and broadcast rights revenues to national and local committees and more than 200 teams and their athletes.
- Dozens more sponsors (usually from host nations) pay to support specific games and only in the domestic market, with revenues going to the local organizing committees to help offset the cost of hosting.
By the numbers: The official Olympic organizing committee budget for Tokyo’s Olympic and Paralympic Games is $6.7 billion, about half of which ($3.3 billion) comes from local sponsorship.
- The total cost when including the budget of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan, which pay for infrastructure builds, is around $15.4 billion.
- “Worldwide” partners like Airbnb reportedly pay $500 million for a nine-year right to be the games’ official housing sponsor, while lower tier “Gold” partners like Asahi reportedly paid about $135 million to support the Tokyo Games specifically.
Yes, but: It’s too easy to criticize host cities, Rick Burton, a Syracuse University sport management professor and former chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee, tells Axios. “Let’s give Tokyo credit for pushing through enormously difficult times.”
- Olympic sponsors are “paid to be nimble,” he adds. “They’ve had backup plans.”
- Sponsorships also extend to the Paralympics, starting August 24, which Toyota could still take advantage of, for example, through the company’s “mobility for all” theme using robot ushers and autonomous transportation.
The big picture: Sponsorships are important sources of revenue for local organizing committees and host cities, but they represent a fraction of the revenue for the IOC.
- Since 1993, 21% of IOC revenue has come from sponsors compared to 79% of revenue from broadcast rights, according to an Axios analysis of an IOC report.
- At the host city level however, the picture changes dramatically — 64% of revenue has come from domestic sponsorships, 30% from ticketing and 6% from licensing.
The bottom line: “All marketing [programs] have been hit as a result of COVID, but if the Games deliver the expected global record audiences — there are more hours than ever before being broadcast — [there’s] still definite possibility for a very positive impact,” says Michael Payne, CEO of Payne Sports Media Strategies and former IOC marketing and broadcast rights director.
Team USA Settles Sponsor Conflict Between United Airlines, Delta
Longtime Team USA sponsor United Airlines will extend its rights through the rescheduled Tokyo Games next summer, despite competitor Delta Airlines signing a $400M deal with LA28 just before the pandemic began. The sponsor conflict was one of several created by the IOC’s decision in March to postpone the Tokyo Games, but was recently settled by a series of negotiations between Delta, United Airlines and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties, said USOPP Chief Commercial Officer Chris Pepe. Delta’s deal, which begins Jan. 1, originally included rights to both LA28, the event, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams, bringing United’s nearly four-decade relationship to an end. But after this year’s Games were delayed, Delta agreed to give back rights to Team USA until September ’21, making way for United to stick with its Tokyo plans, with Delta’s full rights taking effect after the Games. It will still be permitted to associate with LA28 on schedule. A United spokeswoman said, “We remain the sponsor for the Tokyo summer games as planned. We look forward to getting Team USA athletes to the games ready to compete and fulfill their Olympic dreams.” Delta did not respond to a request for comment.
SORTING OUT THE REST: A similar conflict in the milk category has also been settled: MilkPEP and USOPP have agreed to a deal in principle on a domestic extension through Tokyo, even though China Mengniu Dairy was to assume global dairy rights starting Jan. 1 under its rare combo global deal with longtime IOC sponsor Coca-Cola. Separately, a newly-created conflict in the insurance category was not able to be settled. German insurer Allianz insisted on taking its full rights in the U.S. starting Jan. 1, part of a global deal, which will push out USOPC domestic sponsors Liberty Mutual and the Hartford. The extensive list of conflicts has its origins in L.A. winning the ’28 Games, which required the USOPC to structure all of its domestic sponsorships to expire after Tokyo, to give LA28 an open selling market. Pepe confirmed that Adecco, Comcast, DeVry, Hershey and Mondelez have all signed extensions to cover next year, and deals are done in principle with Deloitte and Eli Lilly. Kellogg and 24 Hour Fitness chose not to take the additional year; Smucker’s is still being negotiated. USOPP did not seek additional fees for the extra year, but did ask sponsors to commit to maintaining the activation levels they’d planned for ’20.
Simone Biles Leaves Nike for a Sponsor That Focuses on Women
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast ever, has signed an agreement to represent the women’s clothing brand Athleta and is leaving Nike, her longtime sponsor, just three months before the Summer Olympics begin in Tokyo.
The deal, announced Friday, also includes arrangements for Athleta to fund a post-Olympic gymnastics exhibition tour organized by Biles that will represent a direct financial challenge to U.S.A. Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body.
In interviews, Biles suggested she felt better aligned with the values of Athleta, a division of the clothing retailer Gap, than with those of Nike. “I think they stand for everything that I stand for,” she said of Athleta to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the agreement.
Over the past several years Nike has faced a number of scandals over how it treats female employees and sponsored athletes. Women have spoken up about a toxic atmosphere at Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., and about sponsorship contracts that penalize athletes who become pregnant. Also a Nike coach was accused of verbally abusing female runners and was suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Biles joined a trickle of athletes who recently left Nike. This week, the estate of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star who died in a helicopter crash last year, allowed his contract with the company to expire, and his widow, Vanessa Bryant, said she would pursue a new deal.
By sponsoring Biles’s Gold Over America Tour, Athleta provides financial muscle for her to more directly undercut U.S.A. Gymnastics, an organization that she has repeatedly said cannot be trusted given its failure to keep girls and women safe from Lawrence G. Nassar, the national team doctor who was convicted on multiple counts of sexually abusing athletes. A spokeswoman for U.S.A. Gymnastics, which traditionally organizes a tour after the Olympics, said the organization had no such plan for this year.
Athleta will also develop an activewear line with Biles, who will collaborate with the company’s design team. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“It is more than just a sports apparel sponsorship,” said Mary Beth Laughton, Athleta’s president. “We really view it as a way to support Simone in her full life. As she takes on the next stage in her career in Tokyo and beyond, we really want to support that as well.”
Biles originally signed with Nike in 2015, shortly after she turned professional and won the individual all-around title at the world championships. She represented Nike at the 2016 Olympics, where she won five medals, including four golds. She is a favorite to add to her medal haul at the Tokyo Games. It is widely believed that this will be the final Olympics for Biles, 24, though she recently suggested that she might compete at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
“Our contract with Simone Biles has ended, and we wish her the very best,” a Nike spokesman, Josh Benedek, said in a statement.
At Athleta, Biles will join the track sprinter Allyson Felix, a fellow American who has won nine Olympic medals and who was also sponsored by Nike for several years. Felix signed with Athleta in 2019, shortly after participating in a blistering video that criticized Nike for financially penalizing athletes who became pregnant. Nike changed its policies shortly afterward.
In recent months, Nike has not renewed the contracts of several of other track and field athletes, like the long-jumper Tianna Bartoletta and the pole-vaulter Piotr Lisek, both of whom hope to compete at the Olympics this summer.
The Olympics are the single biggest marketing stage for Nike and for its competitors, like Adidas and Puma. Sports brands compete fiercely to sponsor anticipated medalists and entire governing bodies of a sport. Even without Biles and Felix, Nike’s swoosh will be omnipresent in Tokyo, where it will be represented by hundreds of athletes as well as numerous national governing bodies sending teams to the Games, including the U.S. Soccer Federation and U.S.A. Track & Field.
The gymnasts competing for the United States at the Olympics will wear uniforms made by GK Elite.
Marketing at the Olympics is important for sports brands not because of direct sales of gear, but because of the halo effect the event creates around the brand.
Nike and other companies want to tell potential customers a story about elite athletic performance and product innovation — a narrative that becomes easier to sell (and possibly to believe) when hundreds of athletes wear its shoes and apparel while winning gold.
Athleta, whose only sponsored athletes are Felix and Biles, sells more general activewear rather than sport-specific clothing, and its brand is focused on inclusivity, women’s empowerment and sustainability. In taking athlete endorsers away from Nike, Athleta has joined other niche sports apparel brands like Oiselle, whose best-known endorser is Kara Goucher, a long-distance runner who was sponsored by Nike and has become a strong critic of the company.
“We definitely do admire the courage of Simone and Allyson, and all of the young women and athletes who have spoken up and used their voices,” said Laughton, the Athleta president.
While Biles’s move implicitly criticizes Nike, her tour is explicitly taking aim at U.S.A. Gymnastics. Biles, one of more than 300 athletes who have said that Nassar molested them, has repeatedly criticized U.S.A. Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee as seeming to be more interested in avoiding responsibility for Nassar’s abuse than in finding the truth.
Now Biles, with the help of Athleta, is challenging what was once a major source of revenue for U.S.A. Gymnastics.
Biles’s Gold Over America Tour, which was planned before she signed the deal with Athleta, will visit 35 cities across the United States in the fall after the Olympics. The biggest stars to sign on with Biles so far are Laurie Hernandez, who won a team gold alongside Biles at the 2016 Olympics, and Katelyn Ohashi, a former U.C.L.A. gymnast whose college routines frequently yielded viral videos.
Though U.S.A. Gymnastics does not report specific revenue from its traditional post-Olympic tour, the organization’s annual financial statements suggest that the series has been a big moneymaker.
In 2016, when it staged a 36-city post-Olympic tour, U.S.A. Gymnastics reported $12.9 million in what it labeled “national event revenues.” In 2017, it reported $4.1 million in national event revenues, and in 2018, the last year of available data, just $2.1 million.
U.S.A. Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018, after more than 100 lawsuits were filed by survivors of Nassar’s abuse, and it is still working through the reorganization process.
“While U.S.A. Gymnastics has no plans for a post-Olympic tour in 2021, we are thrilled that the Gold Over America Tour will allow fans around the country to connect with our sport and the incredible athletes who will be taking part,” Meredith Yeoman, a spokeswoman for U.S.A. Gymnastics, said in an email.
Verizon Steps Into Rings, Sponsors Team Handball
Verizon is one of America’s biggest marketing spenders, and the buzz fueled by its 10-figure marketing budget is even more pronounced within sports. When we tell you that a company with more than $127 billion in revenue is making a six-figure marketing investment to affiliate itself with a national governing body, you might giggle.
If we added that it is the NGB for one of the three Olympic sports in which the United States has never medaled, that might even turn into a chuckle.
PRESS RELEASE: USA Team Handball Announces Founding Partnership With Verizon
Still, there is a reason behind Verizon’s decision here, and it’s not just because CEO Hans Vestberg also chaired that particular sport’s NGB in his native Sweden for nine years, before he served as president of the Swedish Olympic Committee.
It’s a team sport popular in Europe; it was first played at the 1936 Olympics; and it has been an Olympic sport since 1976.
We’re talking about team handball, a hybrid of soccer and basketball in which seven-person teams try to throw a ball slightly smaller than a volleyball into goals. While the International Handball Federation claims there are 27 million people playing the sport worldwide, it is largely unknown in the U.S. As a new sponsor of USA Team Handball, Verizon is hoping to put the sport on the map domestically. Its rights deal (a one-year agreement with options to go through 2024) will put the Verizon logo on the front of the NGB’s uniforms, and grant the communications giant a “Founding Technology and Content Provider” designation, through which it hopes to grow the sport. New sponsor dollars are always impressive; having the NGB’s first non-endemic sponsor is a revelation.
Photo: Courtesy of USA Team Handball
As part of its deal Verizon will have its logo on the team’s uniforms. “Verizon’s a legitimizer for the sport of team handball, it’s as simple as that,” said Barry Siff, who became CEO of USA Team Handball last April, after five years as president of USA Triathlon. “One of our goals is to build an OTT and have more social media running, so Americans can sample our sport. I know Verizon can help us grow with their content and distribution capabilities.”
Even when your leading patron is the CEO of a company as large, far-reaching, and influential as Verizon, that won’t be easy. “Tremendous upside and minimal risk” is how Rob McQueen, Verizon director of sponsorships, described the deal. “We’ll get involved in national team tryouts, grassroots tryouts for the women’s and men’s national teams, along with the beach version of the game,” he said. “We think we can grow the sport by getting younger athletes to try something new.”
Not only has the U.S. never won an Olympic medal in team handball (the other Summer Olympic events it has been shut out of are table tennis and badminton; when you win a bar bet at your local tavern, thank us), it hasn’t even qualified for Olympic competition since 1996, when it got free admission because the Games were held in Atlanta. The good news: It will receive that same home-court pass for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. And with a budget the size of Verizon’s, it’s worth wondering if team handball will serve as a test for a larger NGB play.
“This was, perhaps, the ultimate ground-floor opportunity,” said Jeff Marks, whose L.A.-based Innovative Partnerships Group is USA Team Handball’s sales and marketing agency. “The vision is one of building, while knowing the U.S. team will have a presence in eight years.”
With few people playing team handball in the U.S., Siff knows the sports must be nurtured at all levels, from grassroots — where he says there is a growing club scene in major U.S. cities — to the formation of an American professional team handball league, a project now under R&D at IOA Sports in Orlando, where former Major Indoor Soccer League executive Paul Garofolo says it reminds him of his early days with that startup. While the new league is yet nameless, and has no completed logos, he expects to be pitching prospective owners before the year is out. Garofolo says it will require a minimum of 10 franchises to launch for a league that would begin play in 2023 with each franchise costing $3 million to $5 million to launch.
Likely prospects? “NBA or NHL owners in one-tenant arena situations,” Garofolo said. “Some of the big European sports brands like Barca or Paris Saint-Germain also have their own team handball teams.”
It may just be a matter of finding the right CEOs.
Source:
bit.ly/2TF94hl
90,000 NFL Washington Redskins sponsors ask for a name change due to racism – Sport
TASS, July 3. FedEx, the postal company that sponsors the Washington Redskins football team, is asking the club to change its name because it offends the country’s indigenous peoples. This was announced on Friday by the CBN TV company.
“We have passed on to the club our request to change the name,” the TV company quotes a statement from the company, which has been cooperating with Washington for over 20 years.In 1999, FedEx acquired the name of the team’s stadium located in Prince Georges County, Maryland, about 15 kilometers from the American capital. FedEx CEO Frederick Smith also owns a portion of the club. “Redskins” means “Redskins” and the emblem of the team is the image of an Indian.
Earlier this week, other sponsors of the team made a request to change the name, in particular, one of the world’s largest producers of soft drinks PepsiCo (“Pepsico”).
A few years ago in the United States, the issue of the ethical side of the name of sports teams that are associated with the indigenous population of the country was already discussed. Then the owner of “Washington Redskins” Daniel Snyder refused to take such a step. However, last week the club under pressure from the public removed the name of the founder of the team, George Preston Marshall, from the list of outstanding people in the history of “Washington”, as he refused to sign black footballers until 1962. Instead, Robert Mitchell, the first African American footballer in the club’s history, was added to the list.
Washington play in the National Football League (NFL). The club won twice in the regular season (1937, 1942), and also won the Super Bowl three times – the final match of the NFL playoffs (1982, 1987, 1991).
Racial issues have come to the fore in the United States with the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The police used a harsh suffocation technique when he was arrested on May 25, Floyd died after that in the hospital. All four police officers involved in the arrest were dismissed and charged.His death provoked mass protests and riots throughout the country, as well as another wave of struggle against monuments to political figures of the past.
90,000 The main talent of the most popular races in the United States executed his career with a racist shout on the stream. It was thrown out by both the team and the sponsors – Wrong Turn – Blogs
Fabulous idiot.
The lull in motorsport has affected not only Formula 1: all the series have stopped in the world – including the American Indycar and NASCAR. The pilots, waiting for the restart of the season, have fun in the same way as their European colleagues – virtual races in iRacing and other simulators.True, it seems that not all participants in local championships can be called geniuses.
On the night of April 12-13, the most popular US NASCAR Cup Series and racer Landon Cassil organized a virtual race along the old Monza oval Monza Madness with streams on all official channels of the series and guest stars from Indikar (they even called the former pilot F- 1 “Nelson Piquet, Jr.). Most of the pilots with twitch channels joined the show, but at the very beginning of the event at the training races, there was a disaster by the standards of the United States.
The very moment that ruined Kyle Larson’s NASCAR career.
The word “nigga” on the stream.
And Joseph Newgarden’s invaluable reaction. pic.twitter.com/2R62ZwC0ub– Formula 1 (@sports_auto) April 14, 2020
During the stream, NASCAR pilot Kyle Larson tried for a long time to understand if the spotter (the person who monitors the situation on the track and the breaks) hears him – he did not react to the guy’s questions in any way. And then … the racer “Chip Genassi” for some reason said into the microphone for the whole general chat “Hey, nigga.”And the face of the “Indikar” champion Joseph Newgarden took on an extremely amusing expression in the style of “What is this, the guy killed his career on air now?”
“Wow!” – Aaron McEachran reacted.
“Kyle, you generally talk to everyone,” Anthony Alfredo enlightened.
And yes, we heard everything – Aaron McEachran.
“Yes, oops!” – Reacted Conor Daley (who himself recently lost sponsors due to semi-racist statements from his father 25 years ago).
But that’s it – the reaction of the rising star of “Indikar” Colton Hurta was even more emotional!
“Come on! What the fuck just happened ?! ”
Wondering why such a cry? It’s just that the moment got on the air – and a total of about 200 thousand people watched online.As Daley said, big oops.
In the United States, they are extremely sensitive to any manifestations of racism and derogatory attitude towards other races (especially those that are so idiotic and inappropriate) – Larson immediately caught the removal from the team without a salary, and then dismissal with an indefinite ban from NASCAR, along with a compulsory obligation to attend courses on racial tolerance.
But by the measures of the championship, the matter did not end: a day later, Kyle suddenly found that he was left with practically no sponsors.Bank CreditOne – the pilot’s largest partner – announced the end of the relationship. Further, all connections were reset by Fiserv. A refusal to cooperate with McLonalds followed. The third personal sponsor (a very small sticker on the car) Advent Health supported the pilot’s suspension and condemned his statement, but did not officially announce the breakdown. However, the wording hints at a quick decision – and these three companies made up Kyle’s pool of partners for 28 of the 36 races of the 2020 season.
But the most epic was the ban from Chevrolet – now Larson will not be able to race in NASCAR on cars of this brand.This is half of the peloton!
Only one partner is still with the guy – Plan B Sales, which produces NASCAR car models. They announced “pride in Larson for the way he dealt with the situation.”
How much is the loss in money? The biggest partners of the best teams (like the alliance between Farmers and Hendrick Motorsports to support a pilot roughly the same level as Larson) pay about $ 660,000 per race. Kyle played for the middle peasants and has never gone to the title so far, so its cost is clearly about half as low – so Credit One hardly paid more than 300 thousand.McDonald’s and other companies added up to 100 thousand more for small stickers – a total of approximately 400 thousand dollars per race, or 11.2 million for the entire season.
True, all sponsors will remain with the Chip Genassi team – in fact, only Larson will suffer financially. Of course, a pilot without titles and regalia rarely gets a large percentage of deals with personal sponsors – as a rule, we are talking about a 5% share. A total of one word cost Larson about 560 thousand dollars – and this without prize money, bonuses (may amount to several million per season, depending on the results) and standard fees from the team.Unsurprisingly, now you have to apologize.
“I have no forgiveness. I was raised not like that, I said a monstrous thing, – said Kyle via twitter. “I feel ashamed in front of my family, friends, parents, the NASCAR community, and especially the African American community. I understand that the damage caused by me is most likely irreparable, and I fully accept my responsibility. I just wanted everyone to know how sorry I am. Hope everyone will be fine during this crazy time. ”
But the loss of a huge amount of money for just one word in virtual is not yet the peak of irony.The funny thing is that Larson is on his way to the top of NASCAR: in fact, he got into the most popular series in America in 2014 after participating in a special championship program to expand the representation of national minorities! It’s just that his mother is a descendant of Japanese immigrants, and therefore Kyle had a chance to break into the elite of local races (his family had no money, and without NASCAR’s help, regional ovals on the mud in old rattle cars would have become the peak of his career).
Moreover, Larson was actually considered one of the most promising US pilots: in 2014, under his arrival, Chip Genassi even cleaned the cockpit by dismissing Juan-Pablo Montoya himself – the former F-1 superstar and one of Schumacher’s fiercest rivals!
As a result, in six years, Kyle won the “24 Hours of Daytona” (in 2015), won 6 races of the highest NASCAR Cup Series and was considered the future champion.
“There’s no doubt about it: Larson has been among the best NASCAR riders since 2016,” American Series Specialist Jack Benion wrote in a column on The Race.
It was Larson who was called the main lot in the upcoming shaft of transfers in 2021 – when many of the best teams ended contracts with the current riders. # 42 has been rumored to series leaders Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing. Now the transition to the first is absolutely excluded (at least along the line of the ban “Chevrolet”), and the contract in other tops shines for him only in case of refusal of all other riders.Still, the United States remembers racist scandals for a very long time.
A sudden comeback is possible – due to impending massive problems with sponsors
Is there a chance of a return? Unbelievable, but theoretically possible. The pandemic, coronavirus and quarantines are doing not only horror, but also miracles this year.
All because of the sponsorship model that exists in NASCAR: unlike Europe, partnerships are not concluded for the season, but for the number of races. That is, the company pays the team a fixed price for the race, adds the agreed bonuses, and then can safely stop cooperation without staggering penalties and losses.
Due to the looming crisis of endless quarantines, most companies will suffer huge losses – many of them will leave the race simply to cut costs and save jobs. NASCAR’s contracting system can easily do this – and open up opportunities for small firms at the same time. Falling revenues from major sponsors will reduce race payment requirements for teams, and those willing to take the risk and test the effectiveness of motorsport integration may well enter the championship on a short and inexpensive deal.
This is where Larson has a chance: if he succeeds in lifting the ban from NASCAR, finds money for one or two races and breaks everyone (relative to the level of the car and the team, of course), then theoretically he can return to the shortlist of tops for 2021 … Still, in a crisis and less sponsorship investments, third-party companies will not be able to dictate the terms of hiring riders to the best teams with the same force – the result and chances for the title will become more important.
True, finding even a small partner in our crazy times will be very difficult: companies are extremely sensitive to any scandals.For example, in early April, another NASCAR pilot, Bubba Wallace, lost a real sponsor simply due to the fact that in a rage he disconnected from the official virtual race after a collision with a competitor. In a world with a pandemic, every second of even online racing must be taken as seriously as possible – and it seems that a lack of understanding of the new reality executed Larson’s career in the most idiotic style.
At least now you know one more reason to watch virtual races. Yes, they are so much fun.
Donald Trump kicked off the main US race with a prize pool of $ 23 million. And then he headed the peloton
in a limousine
The leader of the US Main Race rolled over on the last lap. Finished on the rooftop in sparks and went to the hospital
Three-time NASCAR champion punches a fan in the face after race
Photo: Gettyimages.ru/Matt Sullivan; instagram.com/kylelarson42
| Rank | Sponsor | Contribution, $ 90,026 million | Status | Profile | Team |
| 1 | Honda | 420 | Owner | Auto concern | Honda, Super Aguri |
| 2 | Toyota | 275 | Owner | Auto concern | Toyota, Williams |
| 3 | Red Bull | 243 | Owner | Drinks | Red Bull, Toro Rosso |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz | 240 | Motor supplier | Auto concern | McLaren |
| 5 | BMW Group | 220 | Owner | Auto concern | BMW Sauber |
| 6 | Marlboro | 200 | Title sponsor | Tobacco | Ferrari |
| 7 | Renault | 130 | Owner | Auto concern | Renault |
| 8 | Bridgestone | 104.8 | Technical Partner | Cars | All commands |
| 9 | Vodafone | 75.5 | Title sponsor | Telecom | McLaren |
| 10 | ING | 54 | Title partner | Finance | Renault |
| 11 | Petronas | 42 | Premium Partner | Oil | BMW Sauber |
| 12 | Intel | 40 | Corporate partner | Technology | BMW Sauber |
| 13 | Shell | 36 | Sponsor | Oil | Ferrari |
| 13 | Panasonic | 36 | Title partner | Technology | Toyota |
| 15 | Mobil 1 | 35 | Technologist.partner | Oil | McLaren |
| 16 | Elf | 31 | Partner | Oil | Renault |
| 17 | Lenovo | 30.5 | Official sponsor | Technology | Williams |
| 18 | RBS | 30 | Official sponsor | Finance | Williams |
| 19 | AT&T | 25 | Title sponsor | Telecom | Williams |
| 20 | Puma | 21 | Sponsor: Ferrari, Renault, Williams, BMW Sauber, Red Bull, Toro Rosso | ||
| 21 | Aigo | 19 | Corporate partner | Technology | McLaren |
| 22 | Credit Suisse | 17 | Official partner | Finance | BMW Sauber |
| 22 | Metro | 17 | Partner | Media | Red Bull |
| 24 | Santander | 16 | Corporate partner | Finance | McLaren |
| 25 | Alice | 15 | Sponsor | Telecom | Ferrari |
| 26 | Johnnie Walker | 14 | Corporate partner | Drinks | McLaren |
| 26 | Petrobras | 14 | Official sponsor | Oil | Williams |
| 28 | Pvaxx | 12 | Partner | other | Renault |
| 28 | Denso | 12 | Partner | Cars | Toyota |
| 28 | EMC2 | 12 | Partner | Technology | Toyota |
| 28 | Time Inc | 12 | Partner | Media | Toyota |
| 32 | Dell Computer | 11 | Official partner | Technology | BMW Sauber |
| 33 | Magneti Marelli | 10.8 | Technical Partner | Toyota, Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault, Toro Rosso | |
| 34 | Mubadala | 10 | Sponsor | Finance | Ferrari |
| 35 | Hanjin Shipping | 8 | Partner | other | Renault F1 |
| 36 | FIAT | 6 | Sponsor | Auto concern | Ferrari |
| 36 | Mutua Madrilena | 6 | Corporate partner | Finance | McLaren |
| 36 | Schuco | 6 | Corporate partner | other | McLaren |
| 36 | Philips | 6 | Official sponsor | other | Williams |
| 40 | AMD | 5.75 | Sponsor | Technology | Ferrari |
| 41 | Martini & Rossi | 5 | Sponsor | Drinks | Ferrari |
| 41 | Tata Consulting | 5 | Official partner | Technology | Ferrari, Williams |
| 41 | SAP | 5 | Corporate partner | Technology | McLaren |
| 44 | Nippon Oil Eneos | 4.2 | Partner | Oil | Honda, Super Aguri |
| 45 | Acer | 4 | Sponsor | Technology | Ferrari |
| 45 | Rauch | 4 | Partner | Drinks | Red Bull |
| 47 | NGK | 3.6 | Technical Partner | Cars | Honda, Ferrari, Super Aguri |
| 48 | Henkel | 3.5 | Official supplier | Technology | McLaren |
| 48 | Kingfisher Airlines | 3.5 | Partner | other | Toyota |
| 50 | Man | 3.15 | Official supplier | BMW Sauber, Toyota, Williams, Spyker | |
| 51 | Hugo Boss | 3.1 | Corporate partner | Fashion | McLaren |
| 51 | Reuters | 3.1 | Official sponsor | Media | Williams |
| 53 | Mahle | 3 | Official supplier | other | Ferrari |
| 53 | Hilton Int | 3 | Bldg.partner | other | McLaren |
| 53 | Accenture | 3 | Official sponsor | other | Williams |
| 53 | Hamleys | 3 | Official sponsor | other | Williams |
| 53 | Randstad | 3 | Official supplier | other | Williams |
| 53 | FedEx | 2.75 | Official supplier | other | McLaren |
| 53 | Fila | 2.75 | Partner | Fashion | Honda |
| 60 | Ray-Ban | 2.5 | Partner | other | Honda |
| 60 | Oris | 2.5 | Official sponsor | Luxury | Williams |
| 62 | Brembo | 2.25 | Official supplier | Cars | Ferrari |
| 63 | Rhinos | 2 | Official sponsor | Drinks | Spyker |
| 63 | Mingya | 2 | Official sponsor | other | Spyker |
| 63 | IIR | 2 | Official supplier | Cars | Ferrari |
| 63 | SKF | 2 | Official supplier | Cars | Ferrari |
| 63 | Celerant | 2 | Partner | Technology | Honda |
| 63 | Oerlikon | 2 | Technologist.partner | Cars | Red Bull |
| 63 | KDDI | 2 | Partner | Technology | Toyota |
| 63 | Ebbon-Dacs | 2 | Partner | Technology | Toyota |
| 63 | Allianz | 2 | Official sponsor | Finance | Williams |
| 63 | Hangar 7 | 2 | Official supplier | other | Red Bull, Toro Rosso |
| 73 | Tag Heuer | 1.95 | Corporate partner | Luxury | McLaren |
| 74 | Leaseplan | 1.8 | Official sponsor | Cars | Spyker |
| 74 | Rotozip | 1.8 | Official sponsor | Cars | Spyker |
| 76 | Universal Music | 175 | Partner | Media | Honda |
| 77 | Qinetiq | 1.7 | Official sponsor | Technology | Williams |
| 77 | Chamilles | 1.7 | Official supplier | Technology | McLaren, Renault, Honda |
| 79 | Seiko | 1.6 | Partner | Luxury | Honda, Super Aguri |
| 80 | Gatorade | 1.5 | Partner | Drinks | Honda |
| 80 | MSC Software | 1.5 | Official supplier | Technology | Red Bull |
| 80 | Chronontech | 1.5 | Partner | Luxury | Renault |
| 80 | BMC Software | 1.5 | Partner | Technology | Toyota |
| 84 | Alpine Stars | 1.3 | Official supplier | Fashion | Honda, Toyota |
| 85 | Trust | 1.2 | Official sponsor | Technology | Spyker |
| 86 | Samantha Kingz | 1 | Official sponsor | Fashion | Super Aguri |
| 86 | McGregor Fashion | 1 | Official sponsor | Fashion | Spyker |
| 86 | Dalco | 1 | Official supplier | Technology | BMW Sauber |
| 86 | Sanbitter | 1 | Official supplier | other | Ferrari |
| 86 | Infineon | 1 | Official supplier | Technology | Ferrari |
| 86 | Europcar | 1 | Official supplier | Cars | Ferrari |
| 86 | Finmeccanica | 1 | Official supplier | Cars | Ferrari |
| 86 | Adv.Composites | 1 | Official supplier | Cars | McLaren |
| 86 | Quehenberger | 1 | Partner | other | Red Bull |
| 86 | UGS | 1 | Partner | Cars | Red Bull |
| 86 | Phantom Works | 1 | Technologist.partner | Technology | Renault |
| 86 | DeWalt | 1 | Official supplier | Cars | Williams |
| 98 | DAF Trucks | 0.9 | Supplier | Cars | Honda |
| 99 | Sparco | 0.85 | Official supplier | Fashion | McLaren, Spyker |
| 100 | Philoder | 0.8 | Official sponsor | other | Spyker |
| 100 | Superfund | 0.8 | Official sponsor | Finance | Spyker |
| 100 | Iveco | 0.8 | Official supplier | Cars | Ferrari |
| 100 | Amik | 0.8 | Sponsor | other | Toro Rosso |
Sponsors terminate contracts with American swimmer Lochte after the scandal in Rio
Photo author, Getty Images
Photo caption,
Ryan Lochte commented on the termination of the contract with Speedo, saying that he respects this decision
Four American companies have decided to terminate sponsorship contracts with US Olympic champion Ryan Lochte, who was at the center of a scandal during the Rio de Janeiro Games.
This decision was made by Speedo USA (manufacturer of swimwear and equipment), fashion brand Ralph Lauren, cosmetics company Syneron-Candela, and mattress manufacturer Airweave Lcc.
The companies announced that they were breaking the agreements after it was revealed that Lochte lied when he said that he and his teammates, at gunpoint, were robbed in Rio by persons posing as police officers.
“We cannot tolerate behavior that conflicts with our brand values,” Speedo said in a statement.
On August 14, Lochte and three other American swimmers broke down a toilet door at a gas station in Rio. They were returning to the Olympic Village after partying in the city. Unable to cope with the locked toilet door, the athletes relieved a small need outside.
The $ 50,000 fee owed to Lochta has been donated by Speedo to the Brazilian chapter of Save The Children, a charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged children.
Photo author, Reuters
Photo caption,
Ryan Lochte is one of the most successful and titled swimmers in history, winner of 12 Olympic medals
From triumph to shame
The athlete’s representatives circulated his statement regarding the termination of the contract with the manufacturer athletic form: “I respect Speedo’s decision and am grateful for the opportunities that our partnership has given me over the years.”
Lochte has not yet commented on the break of contracts with other companies.
Ryan Lochte is one of the most successful and award-winning swimmers in history. He is the owner of 12 Olympic medals. In Rio, he won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
In the United States, the behavior of Lochte and his teammates caused a wave of outrage in society and in the media.
After the incident with the toilet door and the alleged robbery by “mumbled policemen”, the swimmer himself claimed that, being drunk, he “missed some details” and “exaggerated certain fragments of the story.”
Despite having objective evidence, including CCTV footage, he denied that he had lied during his first deposition with the Brazilian police.
“We acknowledge his many accomplishments and hope that he will move on and learn from this experience,” Speedo said in a statement regarding Lochte.
Champion shares: whose sponsors will prove to be the best investment of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Day 8 :: News :: RBC Investments
While football teams fight to win the World Cup, their sponsors play their own game.RBC Quote is checking whether it is possible to earn money on promotions from sponsors of national teams winning at the 2018 World Cup. This is an overview of the eighth day of the tournament.
Australia surprised with football and sponsors
The Danes were considered the favorite of the match with the Australians and at first confirmed this status: already in the seventh minute, the leader of the Danish national team, Christian Eriksen, opened the scoring with an accurate shot under the crossbar.After that, it seemed that everything would go as expected, but the second consecutive defeat of the Australians was clearly not satisfied. The Australian national team imposed their own game, and at the end of the first half, Danish striker Yussuf Poulsen played with a hand in his own penalty area. The referee needed a video replay to fix this foul and assign a penalty, which Mile Edinak confidently converted. It is worth noting that this is the second consecutive match in the tournament when the Australians are given the right to shoot from the penalty spot, and both times Edinak did not let the team down.In the second half of the meeting, the Danes were really lucky to withstand the onslaught of Australia. As a result, 1: 1, and the Australians still have small chances of qualifying from the group.
Shares of companies “played” for the team of sponsors of the Danish national team: Danske Bank (DANSKE), Scandic Hotels Group (SHOTE), Gjensidige (GJF), ALD Automotive (ALD), Volkswagen (VOWG). For the team of sponsors of the Australian national team were the shares of the companies: Nike (NKE), Hyundai (005380), Caltex (CTX), Qantas (QAN), LVMH (LVMH) – through the brand TAG Heuer, NAB (NAB), Telstra (TLS) …Shares of Australia’s largest airline Qantas soared 2.29%, and Caltex rose 1.64%. Bidding in shares of Danish sponsors, including ALD Automotive (-4.44%) ended in failure that day. Confident victory of the partners of the Australian national team.
France-Peru: logical result
Being the clear favorites of the match against Peru, the French were clearly not playing at their full strength.At the end of the first half, the only goal ricocheted from the Peruvian defender was scored by Kylian Mbappe, a promising young French striker. If earlier, at the age of eighteen, he became the youngest debutant of the French national team, then in this match, already at the age of 19, he went down in history as the youngest scorer for his national team. During the break, the Peruvians made a double substitution and tried to recoup, including with the help of the champion of Russia in the Moscow Lokomotiv Jefferson Farfan.He shot several times dangerously, and in the middle of the second half, just after his pass, his teammate even hit the crossbar. However, in the end, Peru did not have enough accuracy to score. The minimum victory of the French “in the class”.
The shares of the companies: EDF (EDF), Nike (NKE), Volkswagen (VOWG), Credit Agricole (CAGR) “played” for the team of sponsors of the French national team. For the team of sponsors of the Peru national team, shares of the following companies “played”: Iconix Brand Group (ICON) – through the Umbro brand, Coca-Cola (KO), Telefónica (TEF) – through the Movistar brand, BBVA Continental (CON), Gloria (GLOi), Hyundai (005380), Alicorp (ALI) – through the Lavaggi brand.The shares of the largest state-owned generating company in France, EDF, became the absolute growth leaders among the partners of the national teams that played that day (+ 5.26%). Shares of all Peruvian sponsors including Coca-Cola and Iconix Brand Group (-3.67%) lost in value. The result of the “sponsors’ game” was a continuation of what was happening on the football field.
Shame and tears of the Argentines
Argentina was unlucky in the match with the Icelanders, and for the second game the finalists of the previous World Cup should have been more than combative.However, the Croatian national team created another loud sensation of the world championship in Russia: the national team of Lionel Messi was defeated with a crushing score of 0: 3. The teams spent the first half on an equal footing. The winning goal was scored at the beginning of the second half after a gross mistake by Argentine goalkeeper Willie Caballero – he, trying to pass the ball to his partner on horseback after passing back, simply presented it to Ante Rebić, who shot straight into the far corner. The Croatians did not stop there – after that moment, the Argentines stopped getting anything in the attack, in principle, and the leader of the Croatian national team, Luka Modric, almost half an hour later doubled the advantage of his team with an incredible shot.The third goal turned out to be frankly mocking – after the Argentineans served from a corner, the Croatian national team carried out a quick retaliatory attack, which ended with a blow, and then finishing after a pause, almost into an empty net. The chances of the Argentine national team to leave the group after this match are illusory and now depend not so much on it as on the result of the game of Nigeria and Iceland.
Shares of the following companies “played” for the Argentina national team’s sponsorship team: Adidas (ADS), Coca-Cola (KO) – through the brands Coca-Cola, BonAqua, Power Ade, AmBev (ABEV) – through the Quilmes brand, Nissan (7201), América Móvil (AMOV) – through the Claro brand, YPF (YPF), Cencosud (CEN) – through the Easy brand, Procter & Gambel (PG) – through the Gillette brand, Hexindai (HX), Guangdong Vanward (002543).The shares of the following companies “played” for the team of sponsors of the Croatian national team: Nike (NKE), Molson (TAP) – through the Ozujsko brand, Assicurazioni Generali (GASI) – through the Generali brand, Hrvatski Telekom (HT). Among the numerous sponsors of the Argentine national team, not a single company on the stock exchange has increased in value by more than 1%. However, the overall decline in the index turned out to be weaker than that of Croatia’s partners. In the latter, only the shares of the local Hrvatski Telekom (+ 0.9%) rose. It is unlikely that the result will be a consolation for the many fans of the Argentine national team who came to Russia.
2018 World Cup Sponsors Index follows trends
The index of sponsors and partners of the World Championship itself, continuing to follow the general trends of world markets, again found itself in the red (-0.59%). The index of sponsors and partners of the 2018 World Cup includes shares of companies: Adidas (ADS), Coca-Cola (KO), Wanda Hotel Development (0169), Wanda Film Holding (002739), Gazprom (GAZP), Hyundai Motor (005380) ), KIA Motor (000270), VISA (V), Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), Hisense Kelon (000921), McDonald`s (MCD), Mengniu Dairy (2319), ALROSA (ALRS), Rostelecom (RTKM ).
Once again the best result was shown by shares of ALROSA (+ 4.14%). Apart from the shares of the Russian diamond mining company, only Bud quotes rose (+ 0.51%). Other sponsors are in the red, and this is not the first time the Chinese have shown the strongest drawdown – Hisense shares fell more than 4%.
As we counted
We calculated the dynamics of the sponsorship index as the average change in the prices of all shares of the sponsors of a particular team, as well as the championship itself, by the close of the game day compared to the previous closing prices.We took into account the shares of those sponsors and partners that are quoted on Russian or foreign trading floors.
Information on the composition of sponsors and partners was obtained from the official websites of FIFA, national teams and football associations of the participating countries.
Based on the results of the World Championship, we will determine the winners – the national team, whose sponsors’ shares grew in price during the tournament the most, as well as the company whose shares became the absolute leader in growth. The outsiders of the championship will be determined in the same way.
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