LA 2028 Gets Sponsorship Agency

(ATR) The joint marketing venture of the United States Olympic Committee and LA 2028 tapped Legends to be the firm to sell sponsorships for the Games.

Legends will "sell the collective LA 2028 and Team USA story" as part of its agreement with U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties, the joint group created to market the 2028 Games. The deal includes the right to sell Team USA sponsorships for the 2022, 2024, and 2026 Olympics as well under the USOPP umbrella.

"Never before in the Olympic movement have we had a known 10-year time horizon to imagine stories and create platforms to engage and connect with people," Casey Wasserman, LA 2028 chair, said in a statement about the deal. "The opportunity ahead is unprecedented."

Consolidating marketing under the USOPP agreement means that there will be no in-house marketing from the USOC through the 2028 Summer Olympics. Earlier this month former Soccer United Marketing head Kathy Carter took over leading the USOPP. She will also serve as chief revenue officer of LA 2028.

As for sponsorships, Legends will help raise $2.5 billion in revenue outlined in the LA 2028 bid book. Many of the USOC’s current sponsors have deals that expire after the 2020 Olympics, according to a report from Bloomberg. That means Legends will work to secure rights for four Olympic Games.

Carter said in an interview with Around the Rings that the USOPP will look to be innovative with the sponsorship program compared to past organizing committees. She said that LA 2028 can focus more on crafting its story for marketing because construction for the Olympics is already largely complete. The long lead time ahead of the Games provides an opportunity not seen in the sports marketing world.

"The Olympics is one of the world’s preeminent sports events, offering a unique value proposition and an important cultural influence for brands to connect with consumers through the experience of the Games," Shervin Mirhashemi, President and CEO, Legends, said in a statement. "This is a tremendous opportunity for our business to partner with an iconic property to engage with partners to create a strategic investment in the LA 2028 and Team USA platform."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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