For the first time in modern Olympic history, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28) will be allowed to sell venue naming rights. The move marks a significant shift from the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) long-standing policy and is expected to create an important new revenue stream.
Traditionally, Olympic venues have remained free from commercial branding, despite pressure from The Olympic Partners (TOP) and other sponsors for greater visibility. While the IOC has gradually allowed more sponsor integration in recent editions of the Games, the introduction of venue naming rights represents a landmark change.
LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman noted, “People have been shocked that this is an option, this is something they can do. Obviously, there are naming rights in other countries, but it’s a truly embedded part of our culture here. So, you start with the place of people know these venues by their names.”
The initiative is forecast to contribute meaningfully towards LA28’s current $7.1 billion budget. Both LA28 and the IOC have described it as a pilot programme, with the IOC confirming it will evaluate its relevance for future hosts.
Wasserman said, “For temporary venues, what a great opportunity for TOPs to have a real meaningful way to plus up their investment, as well as our partners or the potential partners. They understand how unique this marketplace is. They understand our unique economic structure here. And it wasn’t as simple as the first time we asked, I can assure you that. But it was an engaged process that produced a good result.”
“The IOC is always looking to recognize and support the critical role and contributions of Olympic commercial partners, both TOP and domestic. We also want to support LA28 in their efforts to create new approaches and commercial opportunities, whilst maintaining the principles of the ‘clean venue policy’ that is unique to the Olympic Games,” the IOC said in a statement. “It is a reality that many venues in LA and in the U.S. already have commercial naming rights and have become commonly recognized as such by the general public. Therefore, following discussions, the IOC is supporting the LA28 initiative that takes into account market realities of venue naming and generates critical revenue to stage the Games.”
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties – a joint venture between LA28 and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee – will first offer naming rights to permanent venues that already have venue naming deals, as well as to TOP sponsors for temporary venues.
Several venues with existing commercial names are expected to retain them, including the Honda Center and Peacock Theater. Others, such as SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome, Crypto.com Arena, BMO Stadium and Devon Park (Oklahoma City, host of softball), may also keep their names if the respective companies purchase the rights. If they decline, naming rights for those venues would not be sold to anyone else.
If TOP sponsors do not take up the opportunity for temporary venues, rights will then be offered to LA28’s highest-level sponsors. Companies outside the current sponsorship structure would need to commit at the tier-one, or founding partner, level to access these rights.
Wasserman added, “In many ways, this makes it easier because the value proposition of the naming rights is so significant given the media and the broadcast innovation, which obviously is pretty unique and meaningful. We’re trying in many ways to create as much value as possible in the context of having an event, as you said, that only lasts for a month.”
Comcast, Honda 1st to sign up for LA28 venue naming rights
Cable TV conglomerate Comcast and automotive manufacturer Honda are among the first to lend their brand names to stadiums.
The Comcast Squash Centre at Universal Studios will be set on Hollywood’s iconic Courthouse Square backlot and provide a spectacular stage for the sport’s long-awaited Olympic debut. The media company has previously sponsored the US Open Squash Championships in Philadelphia in 2024.
“For the squash venue to be one of the first to benefit from venue naming rights and for the sponsor to be Comcast is another very special moment in the sport’s Olympic journey,” said World Squash president Zena Wooldridge.
“On behalf of World Squash and our partners, the PSA and US Squash, I want to thank LA28, Universal Studios and Comcast for their wholehearted commitment to supporting squash in this amazing venue.”
Per Inside The Games, Squash’s inaugural run at the Olympic Games already promises to be iconic, with its courts located in where films like Back to the Future, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Nutty Professor, and Bruce Almighty were produced. Key matches at squash tournaments usually take place on a court with four glass walls, meaning the surrounding landscape is a key feature of the experience.
“From hosting Squash’s Olympic Games debut to bringing LA28 to US audiences on NBC and Peacock and serving as a founding partner of the 2028 Organising Committee and proud sponsor of Team USA, we’re coming together across our entire company to support this historic moment,” said Comcast Corporation Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Khoury.
“These groundbreaking partnerships with Comcast and Honda, along with additional partners to come, will not only generate critical revenue for LA28 but will introduce a new commercial model to benefit the entire Movement. We’re grateful to the IOC for making this transformation possible,” said Wasserman.
