100 Years of Olympic Marketing  

Sponsorship

During the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, a number of companies contributed revenue through advertising for the first time.

testing

Sponsorship

Around 10 Swedish companies were granted permission to purchase the sole rights to sell memorabilia and take photographs during the Olympic Games in 1912 in Stockholm.

Sponsorship

In 1920, the official Olympic Games programme that was distributed throughout the Games in Antwerp was filled for the first time with a substantial amount of corporate advertising.

Sponsorship

Paris 1924 were the only Games in history to allow advertising signage to appear within view of the official venues.

Sponsorship

Coca-Cola began its long-running partnership with the Olympic Games; the official programme was again filled with corporate advertising, and concessionaires were granted rights to operate restaurants within stadium grounds. The IOC ruled that advertising signage must not appear within the stadium grounds.

Sponsorship

The OCOG solicits businesses to provide free merchandising and advertising tie-ins. Many major department stores in the eastern U.S. feature the Olympic Games marks in window displays, and many national businesses use the Games as an advertising theme.

Sponsorship

The OCOG solicits businesses to provide free merchandising and advertising tie-ins. Many major department stores in the eastern U.S. feature the Olympic Games marks in window displays, and many national businesses use the Games as an advertising theme.

Broadcasting

Berlin 1936 were the first Games available on television – albeit on a closed-circuit to locations around the stadia only.

Broadcasting

The first Olympic Games to establish the principle of the broadcast rights fee. The BBC agrees to pay one thousand guineas (approximately US$3,000). Concerned about financial hardship to the BBC, the OCOG does not accept the payment. More than 500,000 viewers, most residing within a 50-mile radius of London, watch the 64 hours of Olympic programming.

Broadcasting

The first Olympic Games to launch an international marketing programme. Companies from 11 countries make contributions of goods and services ranging from food for the athletes to flowers for medalists.

Sponsorship

The OCOG conducts broadcast rights negotiations for the first time.

Broadcasting

Cortina 1956 was the first Olympic Winter Games to be broadcast live. An unfortunate incident occurred during the Opening Ceremony, whereby an Olympic torchbearer tripped over a television cable placed on the ice surface of the stadium.

Broadcasting

A number of important global markets, including the United States, missed out on the transmission of Games coverage following the breakdown of negotiations for broadcast coverage of Melbourne 1956.

Broadcasting

The Olympic Games sponsor/supplier programme was extended to 46 companies, which offered technical support as well as supplying products such as perfume, chocolate, toothpaste and soap.

Sponsorship

Eighteen European countries watched live televised Games for the first time, while the United States, Canada and Japan were able to receive coverage just hours later.

Sponsorship

By Tokyo 1964, 250 companies had forged marketing relationships with the Olympic Games. Although later banned, the tobacco sponsorship category generated more than US$1 million through its “Olympia” cigarette brand.

Broadcasting

During the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, satellite broadcast coverage was used for the first time to transmit images overseas.

Broadcasting

The Mexico City Games in 1968 crossed new boundaries when they broadcast Games coverage in colour for the first time, and also made live slow-motion footage available.

Broadcasting

The model for the current host broadcast organisation is based on Sapporo 1972, when Japanese network NHK provided the television feed to enable international broadcasters to select specific coverage.

Sponsorship

A private advertising agency acted as the licensing agent for the first time. Rights to use the official emblem were sold, and several types of licensing and advertising agreements were available. There was also the first official mascot, "Waldi", whose image was licensed to private firms for sale.

Sponsorship

Revenue streams from domestic sponsorship generated over US$7 million for the OCOG after the number of sponsors and suppliers for the 1976 Montreal Games reached 628.

Sponsorship

With 628 sponsors and suppliers, domestic sponsorship generates US$7 million for the OCOG.

Sponsorship

With 628 sponsors and suppliers, domestic sponsorship generates US$7 million for the OCOG.

Sponsorship

For the Sarajevo Games in 1984, the number of foreign and domestic sponsorship agreements signed by the OCOG totalled 447.

Sponsorship

The marketing programme 1984 was limited to the host country and US companies. The domestic sponsorship programme was also divided into three categories for the first time, with each one receiving designated rights and product category exclusivity.

Broadcasting

Viewing figures increased dramatically during the Los Angeles Games in 1984. More than 2.5 billion people watched the event after television and radio rights were secured by 156 nations.

Sponsorship

The IOC creates The Olympic Partners (TOP) worldwide sponsorship programme, in coordination with the OCOGs in Seoul and Calgary, as well as 159 NOCs. TOP is based on the 1984 Los Angeles model of product category exclusivity. Prior to the establishment of the TOP programme, fewer than ten NOCs in the world had a source of marketing revenue. The OCOGs launch independent marketing programmes. For the first time, the IOC requires the OCOG to form a joint marketing programme with the host country NOC.

Sponsorship

The IOC created The Olympic Partners (TOP) Worldwide sponsorship programme, based on the product category exclusivity model seen for Los Angeles 1984. The IOC also required the OCOG to develop a joint marketing programme with the host country NOC for the first time.

Sponsorship

The Olympic Partners (TOP), an initiative introduced by the IOC during the preceding Games in Calgary and Seoul, grew from nine to 12 partners in 1992.

Broadcasting

Olympic broadcast history was made in 1992 when a multi-tier television structure successfully operated in a number of different countries. 

Sponsorship

The Olympic Partners (TOP), an initiative introduced by the IOC during the preceding Games in Calgary and Seoul, grew from nine to 12 partners in 1992.

Broadcasting

Olympic broadcast history was made in 1992 when a multi-tier television structure successfully operated in a number of different countries. 

Sponsorship

More than US$500 million was generated from broadcast and marketing programmes, a sum which broke nearly all major marketing records previously set by an Olympic Winter Games.

Broadcasting

The Olympic Winter Games were broadcast for the first time on the African continent, via M-Net and ART satellites. The number of countries and territories able to watch coverage rose to more than 120.

Sponsorship

The Games in Atlanta in 1996 became the first to be funded in their entirety via private sources.

Broadcasting

Broadcasting reached 214 countries, with the IOC agreeing to underwrite the cost of transmission to Africa. For the first time, an Olympic Games was funded entirely through private sources, including broadcast rights.

Broadcasting

The number of countries and territories receiving television coverage rose to 180 for Nagano 1998, and the Olympic Winter Games could be viewed in Australia for the first time.

Sponsorship

Domestic sponsorship for Sydney 2000 generated US$492 million more revenue than that of Atlanta 1996. A new standard for brand protection through education, legislation and advertising controls was also introduced.

Broadcasting

The IOC introduced total Viewer Hours (TVH), a new method of measuring the Olympic television audience levels. The 2000 Games produced 36.1 billion Television Viewer Hours across 220 countries.

Sponsorship

The Olympic Properties of the United States (OPUS) sponsorship set new records at Salt Lake in 2002 for both the Winter and Summer Games.

Broadcasting

Salt Lake became the first host broadcaster to cover all Winter events live. In India, 100 million viewers received free-to-air coverage and East Timor also gained coverage. Viewing figures showed that 2.1 billion people in 160 countries consumed more than 13 billion Television Viewer Hours (TVH).

Sponsorship

Athens 2004 generated 50% more than the predicted revenue through national and torch relay sponsorship, and the total sponsorship target was met two years prior to the event.

Broadcasting

Live coverage was made available on the internet in a number of territories for the first time and around 300 television channels generated 35,000 hours of coverage. Statistics revealed that 3.9 billion viewers in 220 countries and territories watched on average more than 12 hours of coverage each. 

Sponsorship

Torino 2006’s sponsorship programme represented nearly 1% of the total advertising spend in the Italian market. The programme brought in 6.14% of the total sponsorship spending in the Italian market – 35 times more than that of Salt Lake 2002.

Broadcasting

Almost 1,000 hours of live coverage was made available by the Turin Olympic Broadcast Organisation – the most in Olympic Winter Games history. Coverage on mobile phones and HDTV was provided for the first time.

Sponsorship

Beijing 2008’s domestic sponsorship programme was a major contributor towards the successful staging of the Olympic Games, generating a vast amount of the required revenue and services.

Broadcasting

The Beijing Games were the most watched Games in Olympic history. A record 5,000 hours of HDTV was provided by the Olympic Broadcast Services during the 2008 Games in Beijing. The IOC also aired coverage in over 78 countries via its own digital channel in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. 

Sponsorship

Vancouver OCOG created one of the most comprehensive sponsorship programmes ever for an Olympic Winter Games, with nine worldwide partners and an additional 50 suppliers and sponsors all playing a pivotal role.

Broadcasting

The Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010 broke all records when it came to online and mobile coverage, attracting approximately 1.8 billion viewers worldwide.

Sponsorship

London 2012 had a global reach of 3.6 billion people – the highest in Olympic Games history – in 220 countries and territories around the world. OBS produced more coverage than ever before and the broadcasters in turn broadcast more coverage than ever before.

Broadcasting

With eleven global TOP Partners, seven domestic partners, seven official supporters and 28 official suppliers, the London 2012 marketing programme was very successful, raising funds to support London 2012 and providing help and expertise for specific operational needs during the planning and staging of the Games.