Los Angeles Olympics hit US$2 billion in sponsorships, topping Paris games
The sponsorships are a combination of cash, goods and services
[LOS ANGELES] The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics have signed more than US$2 billion in sponsorship and licensing deals, surpassing the 2024 Paris games more than two years before the opening ceremonies.
The LA games inked almost US$1 billion worth of deals in 2025 with brands including Honda, Uber, Intuit, Google and Starbucks, and there are a couple more “big names” coming early next year with each valued at more than US$100 million, according to John Slusher, who oversees revenue for the LA28 organising committee.
The sponsorships are a combination of cash, goods and services, such as naming rights, sports gear, memorabilia, advertising and health care. LA28’s goal is to raise US$2.5 billion from sponsorships and licensing agreements, making them the games’ largest revenue source.
“Sponsorship’s been going incredibly well,” Slusher said in an interview. It’s a “sign of the popularity of the games.”
Raising sponsorship money is key for the organisers to shield taxpayers from picking up the tab for the games at a time when the city already faces budget cuts to police and the fire department.
In case of cost overruns, the LA Olympic bid guaranteed an initial US$250 million from the city followed, if needed, by another US$250 million from the state. LA would also be on the hook for any liabilities beyond that.
The latest games budget estimate increased to US$7.15 billion, up 3.9 per cent from 2024, according an August presentation to the Los Angeles City Council. The estimate when the city originally bid in 2017 was US$5.3 billion, including a 10 per cent contingency for cost overruns.
When LA hosted the Olympics in 1984, they became the first games to turn a profit, attributed in large part to pioneering corporate sponsorships.
The 2024 Paris games reported a budget surplus, but sponsorship revenue was US$1.3 billion, down from US$3.2 billion for the 2020 Tokyo games, according to a report by the International Olympic Committee.
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LA28 ticket sales are expected to generate US$2.5 billion. Registration for buying 14 million tickets starts in January.
The International Olympic Committee is expected to contribute US$948 million to the 2028 games, including broadcast payments and revenue from global sponsorships, according to the city’s presentation. Global sponsors so far include Airbnb, Alibaba, Coca-Cola, Deloitte and Visa.
The Paris games cost about US$9.4 billion, half of which went to new infrastructure, including stadiums. The LA28 organisers have limited costs by mostly using existing sports venues. But city, state and federal governments are on the hook for security and public transportation as well as operating deficits.
US President Donald Trump’s tax and spending plan, which he dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” allocated US$1 billion for security, planning and other costs related to the 2028 Olympics.
Trump has threatened to move the games – as well as 2026 Fifa World Cup matches – from LA to another host city if he deems Los Angeles unsafe. That’s highly unlikely to happen, Slusher said.
“I can’t imagine a world where LA doesn’t put on a great games,” he said. BLOOMBERG
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