Analyzing Rule 40’s Restrictions on Using Athletes in Olympic Sponsorship at Rio 2016

Abstract

This intervention considers changes to Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter during the 2016 Summer Games. It compares predictions made prior to the Games relating to legal issues in Olympic sponsorship and ambush marketing with what was observed on-site and what occurred online pertaining to legal issues in sponsorship at Rio 2016. Using examples from the United States and efforts by the USOC to enforce Rule 40, the author considers how Olympic officials have shifted their emphasis toward regulatory efforts aimed at athletes, such as through a relaxed Rule 40, rather than via traditional brand-protection efforts. The implications of this change are suggested in the context of the Olympic legal and business environment.