Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management
First Advisor
Brennan Berg
Second Advisor
Kofan Lee
Third Advisor
Vivian Ibrahim
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The Olympic Games are the world’s premier sporting event, hosting athletes from 206 countries every four years. The Ancient Games date back over 3,000 years in what is now modern-day Greece. The “Classical Games” consisted of a single foot race, the “stade,” and eventually grew to include long-distance running, wrestling, long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw (Abrahams, n.d.). Now, the Games are split into summer and winter sports, with the Summer Olympic hosting 329 medal events and the Winter Olympics 116. Due to the size and magnitude of this event, the Olympic Games are broadcast all over the world, and there is a large industry just for the promotional aspect. Major companies like Coca-Cola and Airbnb have become prominent partners in the Games, creating merchandise, media content, and special promotions just for this event (International Olympic Committee, n.d.). With more than three billion viewers, the Olympic Games have generated billions of dollars in advertising alone, with some companies generating roughly $100 million from licensed product sales (Chavez, 2024). The Games have become a prime opportunity for major retailers and businesses to expand their market share and become among the largest companies worldwide. The purpose of this study is to research consumers’ reactions to Olympic sponsorships through social media posts, advertisements, commercials, and merchandise. Information was collected through an anonymous mixed-method survey, allowing participants to voice their opinions on Olympic advertising. This information was gathered in January of 2026, and it is based on their experience with past and future Olympic Games.
Recommended Citation
Wood, Bailey R., "Consumer Reaction to Olympic Sponsorships" (2026). Honors Theses. 3476.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3476