For the first time in Olympic history, corporate names will officially appear on stadiums during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. On August 15, the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee announced its decision to sell stadium naming rights as a new source of revenue.

This marks a historic shift; the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has traditionally imposed strict limits on commercial activity, specifically prohibiting naming rights at Olympic venues. Even during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), the Ajinomoto Stadium—ordinarily named after a Japanese food company—was referred to only as "Tokyo Stadium" during the Games.

In a significant policy change, the IOC has now accepted the organizing committee's proposal, paving the way for corporate-branded venues at the Olympics.

The organizing committee revealed that contracts have already been signed with several companies, including Japan’s Honda and the US-based Comcast. Honda, which owns the naming rights to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, will retain the arena’s title when it serves as the volleyball venue during the Olympics. Additionally, a temporary squash facility located in the Universal Studios parking area will be named the "Universal Studios Comcast Squash Center," highlighting its partnership with the major American media group.

Under this new policy, the committee plans to sell naming rights for up to 19 temporary venues. Companies with these rights will be able to maintain their branding throughout the Games, subject to further agreements with the organizing committee.

However, the "clean venue" policy will remain in place, continuing to prohibit advertisements inside the stadiums themselves.

The organizing committee expressed gratitude toward the IOC for its cooperation, stating, “This change is expected to generate unprecedented revenue in Olympic history.”

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News