How the 2024 Olympics revolutionized sports marketing

The 2024 Paris Olympics weren’t just one of the biggest sporting events in recent history; they marked a major shift in the sports and entertainment industry, providing key insights for sports marketing.

The event drove growth in marketing and advertising, with sponsors focusing on creative strategies to engage audiences in fresh and innovative ways.

Getty Images played a key role, offering a rich collection of high-quality visuals that captured the most iconic moments of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

These images, used extensively across all Publimetro platforms—web, print, Instagram, and Facebook—helped tell the story of the Games and allowed brands to connect with their audiences in a more authentic and powerful way.

The Paris Olympics became a real testing ground for major companies, allowing them to experiment with new campaign strategies that blended sports, entertainment, and digital transformation.

The biggest challenge was capturing the attention of today’s audiences and creating meaningful engagement, redefining the rules of sports marketing and setting new trends that will shape the industry’s future.

Record-Breaking Viewership

The 2024 Olympics set new viewership records across Latin America, becoming one of the biggest sporting events in recent memory. In Brazil, Globo reported that 140.4 million people tuned in through TV Globo, sportv channels, Globoplay, and ge.

It’s estimated that over 81% of Brazilian households watched TV Globo’s coverage, with Olympic broadcasts hitting 11 rating points—a 10% increase compared to the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Another major viewership phenomenon in Brazil was CazeTV, a YouTube channel that made waves by streaming the event for free, drawing in 50 million viewers. The partnership between Casimiro Miguel and LiveMode was a huge success, redefining sports marketing and how today’s audience consumes sports.

In Mexico, the media impact was equally impressive. Televisa-Univision, along with Claro Sports, reached over 47 million viewers across their channels and platforms, establishing themselves as the leading broadcasters in the country.

This surge in viewership also drove a spike in sponsorships, with big brands rolling out bold and creative campaigns.

Brands that stood out

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola, the official sponsor of the Olympic Games, collaborated with three French artists, including Aurélia Durand, to create special edition “Hug” cans as part of a unique campaign celebrating how sports can bring people together.

They also released the commercial “It’s Magic When the World Comes Together,” featuring Olympic athletes and showing how something as simple as a hug can inspire and connect people around the globe.

On top of that, Coca-Cola highlighted real-time hugs and spontaneous acts of kindness during the Paris Olympics, even giving one lucky fan the chance to watch the competitions up close.

Vivo

As the official sponsor of Team Brazil, Vivo teamed up with athletes like Vinicius Junior, Rayssa Leal, and Ítalo Ferreira to promote the slogan “Gold is inspiring new times,” with the goal of deepening the connection between the public and the athletes.

In the short film “It’s Time to Inspire New Victories,” followed by the series “Imagine the Scene,” Vivo encouraged Brazilian fans to rally behind their athletes and appreciate the powerful representation they bring, both in their sports and in their everyday lives.

Samsung

In the “Open Always Wins” campaign, which celebrates the values of openness and innovation promoted by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Samsung launched the Olympic™️ Rendezvous @ Samsung, an Olympic Showcase in the Village, and rolled out a series of initiatives around the event.

One of the standout activations was gifting athletes and their families with the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition, a specially designed smartphone aimed at enhancing the athletes’ experience during the Games.

Samsung’s marketing strategy was prominently showcased during the sports broadcasts, with victorious athletes snapping “victory selfies” on the podium after receiving their medals—always using the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition.

Brand representatives explained that the key focus was to enhance the experience for both fans and athletes, underscoring how the way we experience the Olympic Games has changed over the years, driven by ongoing technological advancements.

Nike

Challenging the classic motto “it’s the taking part that counts,” Nike launched a bold campaign for the 2024 Olympics called “Victory Isn’t for Everyone.”

This campaign caused quite a stir in the world of sports marketing, celebrating the competitive spirit and showcasing stars like Kylian Mbappé, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Vini Jr.

As the official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams, Nike also released exclusive products for the event, including the Jordan 4 Retro SE sneakers and the Olympic Electric Pack.

According to SEMRUSH data, Nike’s website saw a massive 128 million visits during the first week of August (the start of the Olympics), compared to 35.5 million for its main competitor, Adidas.

Visa

Visa Go was developed to seamlessly connect customers with businesses across Paris, Saint-Denis, Versailles, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, and Tahiti. The brand strategically selected 3,500 points of sale to make digital transactions easier throughout the competition.

Visa also partnered with six renowned artists, including Brazilian Alex Senna, to create 2,712 murals and outdoor exhibits celebrating the diversity and charm of Parisian neighborhoods.

To further enhance its campaign, Visa joined forces with Roblox, the 3D gaming platform, for a digital event that blended creators, music, and art, spotlighting some of the Louvre’s most iconic masterpieces.

Social networks and sports marketing

Social media played a crucial role in sports marketing during the Paris 2024 Olympics. In Brazil and beyond, an organic fan-driven movement emerged to increase visibility for athletes, whether they medaled or not, and to rally support for various sports.

This spontaneous initiative led to a significant surge in followers for many athletes, boosting their digital presence and driving greater public engagement with the Games.

For example, gymnast Rebeca Andrade started the competition with 2.7 million Instagram followers, and by the end of the Games, she had reached an impressive 12 million—a 344.44% increase.

Likewise, judoka Beatriz Souza, who won Brazil’s first gold medal in Paris, saw her Instagram following soar from 55,935 to 3.3 million.

What the future holds for us

With record-breaking viewership across Latin America and globally, the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics played a key role in advancing sports marketing and the broader communications industry.

Broadcasts on multiple platforms were instrumental in the event’s success, driving brand engagement as companies invested heavily in special campaigns and marketing strategies.

It’s clear that the growing public support had a positive impact on athletes, the Olympic organization, broadcasters, sponsors, and all the brands involved in the unforgettable moments of Paris 2024.

Expanding the audience base is no small feat, but after this event, it’s clear that consumer habits are likely to evolve as media adapt to shifting preferences.

These habits might include key factors like preferred broadcast platforms, top-viewed brands, popular sports, standout athletes, and all the ways people engage with an event as significant as the Olympics.

In this context, social media played a vital role in promoting the Games. It not only enhanced the visibility of athletes but also created a space for direct engagement, strengthening the bond between fans and athletes.

Social media enables moments of triumph and perseverance to be shared instantly, turning athletes into global inspirations. This increased digital presence also opens up more opportunities for sponsorships and collaborations, further expanding the economic and social reach of the Olympic Games.

The Paris 2024 Olympics showed that in today’s globalized world, the success of major sporting events goes far beyond what happens in the arenas—whether on courts, in pools, or on mats.

Brands’ ability to engage audiences across multiple platforms and make the most of social media has become essential for maximizing the positive impact of the event in every way.

As sports content consumption evolves, organizations and brands need to ensure that the legacy of these events extends beyond breaking records, influencing the future of sports marketing and global communication.