For the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history, competition venues will carry corporate names, breaking from the longstanding 'clean venue' tradition. The policy, also enforced at events like the Fifa World Cup, previously required stadiums to strip all non-official sponsor branding. The shift follows years of debate inside the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
LA28 announced on Thursday that Comcast and Honda will be the first naming rights partners under an IOC-approved pilot programme. The Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios will stage squash's Olympic debut, while the Honda Center in Anaheim will host indoor volleyball. Other permanent venues with existing naming deals, such as SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome, could retain their titles if sponsors buy the rights.
LA28 chair Casey Wasserman said naming rights are 'truly embedded' in US sporting culture and that these partnerships will generate critical revenue for the privately funded Los Angeles Games. Under the programme, up to 19 temporary venues will also have naming rights available, with first opportunities going to Olympic Partner (TOP) programme members.
Historically, clean venue policies have meant significant losses for venue sponsors. Marketing analysts estimate that losing naming rights exposure at a World Cup can cost between $5m and $9m for early matches, rising to $80m for the final. An IOC statement described the LA28 plan as a 'pilot' that will be assessed for future hosts.
The move underscores growing commercialisation as organisers seek new funding models. LA28 will be the first US Summer Olympics in more than 30 years and aims to rely entirely on private financing to meet its estimated $7.1bn budget. Outside the new naming rights programme, standard clean venue rules will still apply.
