COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes will be able to thank personal sponsors, appear in advertisements for those sponsors and receive congratulatory messages from them during next year’s Tokyo Games under guidance released Tuesday by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The loosening of marketing rules gives athletes more freedom to benefit from sponsors they deal with directly, rather than limiting advertising to official partner companies of the USOPC, International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee.
Official partners will maintain exclusive use of Team USA and Olympic Games logos and imagery, but athletes’ personal sponsors will be permitted to run generic ads.