Speaking with ADWEEK, Jorge De La Rosa, senior vice president of research for NBC Sports, called the revised approach a “benefit to advertisers,” who have already pledged $1.2 billion in commitments to the Paris Olympics. Expect the combined ratings trend to continue at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan thanks to a similarly favorable time zone.
De La Rosa notes that a combined number provides brands with the totality of the Olympics audience they’ll be reaching—those who prefer to watch live and those who wait for the highlights. “We’re representing the way the landscape has changed,” he adds. “People are really excited [for Paris], and we want to capture that energy and not be beholden to old media ways.” — Ethan Alter
2. Bigger conversations around mental health
Mental health and wellness will be a bigger conversation at Paris 2024. After gymnast Simone Biles brought global attention to the issue when she withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Games, citing stress and burnout, more athletes are opening up about their mental health.
Olympic organizers are responding to this trend. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched a mindfulness program giving athletes licenses to the Calm meditation app; a mental fitness helpline; a “mentally fit zone” for athletes to decompress; and support to any competing athlete in more than 70 languages for four years following the games. Organizers said they will use an AI tool to weed out abuse online.
Brands are also finding ways to support athletes’ mental health. Asics launched an initiative to help protect its sponsored athletes against online harassment during competitions.
And Powerade, an Olympics sponsor, showcased Biles’ story in one of its ads for the games. In the Olympic Village, the beverage brand will host an experience for athletes that will provide an environment for recovery, virtual reality visualization practices and safe spaces for conversations about mental health.
“[Powerade’s] Simone Biles ad reflects society and what people care about now,” said Toan Ravenscroft, managing director of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Amsterdam. — Brittaney Kiefer