Sponsorship and athlete marketing rules

Two rules, and two words, that are always confused

Almost every argument about athlete marketing at the Olympic Games confuses two rules of the Olympic Charter. Rule 40, through paragraph 3 of its bye-law, governs whether an athlete's personal sponsor may use the athlete's name and image during the Games. Rule 50 governs advertising in venues and on kit (Rule 50.1 and the first paragraph of its bye-law) and demonstrations and propaganda (Rule 50.2). The confusion has a specific cause: at the 141st Session in Mumbai on 15 October 2023 the athletes' freedom-of-expression clause was moved into Rule 40.2, so a sentence about protest now cites Rule 40 while a sentence about logos cites Rule 50.^[1] [3]

The second confusion is between a sponsor, who pays the athlete or team, and a supplier or manufacturer, who provides the equipment. Every kit regulation on this page has one size limit for the manufacturer's identification and a separate — or zero — allowance for sponsor advertising. The IOC permits only the manufacturer's mark and bans all sponsor advertising on Olympic kit; World Athletics and UEFA allow both, at different sizes; FIFA allows sponsor advertising for clubs and none for national teams. A rule that says "20 cm²" without saying which of the two it limits is not a rule.

Rule 50.1, for the record: "Except as may be authorised by the IOC Executive Board on an exceptional basis, no form of advertising or other publicity shall be allowed in and above the stadia, venues and other competition areas which are considered as part of the Olympic sites." That is the "clean venue" rule, and it is the reason host countries pass the laws described at the end of this page.^[1]

Rule 40: from a blackout to a conditional permission

The USOPC dates the rule to 1991. In the Charter in force from February 2010 it read, as a bye-law to what was then Rule 41 (the 2010 text is quoted from the IOC's own library edition): "Except as permitted by the IOC Executive Board, no competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games." In practice, in the German competition authority's later description, the restriction "comprises all marketing and social media activities and applies during the so-called 'frozen period' (starting nine days before the opening of the Olympic Games and continuing until three days after the closing ceremony)".^[4] [5]

Rio 2016 introduced waivers, not freedom. The IOC relaxed its guidance in 2015 to allow "generic" advertising, and the US committee operated a waiver system under which a campaign had to have no Olympic association, be submitted months in advance and be in market well before the blackout. The mechanism was specific to Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018, as described in contemporaneous law-firm accounts.^[10]

Germany changed the rule by competition law. The Bundeskartellamt opened proceedings against the German Olympic Sports Confederation and the IOC in 2017 for suspected abuse of a dominant position; interim changes before PyeongChang proved insufficient; and on 27 February 2019 it closed the case with binding commitments. Its preliminary view was that "the restrictions of advertising opportunities arising from the current application of Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter are too far-reaching and thus constitute abusive conduct". The commitments: no prior clearance; new campaigns, not only existing ones; a closed list of prohibited terms — "It is now allowed to use terms like 'medal, gold, silver, bronze, winter or summer games'"; competition photographs without Olympic symbols; and, decisively, "Sporting sanctions must not be applied in the event of disputes on whether an advertising measure is admissible or not, and sports arbitration courts no longer decide on such disputes. Instead, such cases can be taken to ordinary civil courts." There was no fine and no judgment; the DOSB's Paris 2024 guideline records the commitments as binding until the end of the 2026 frozen period, with only economic sanctions and the German state courts open.^[5] [6]

June 2019: the rewrite. The 134th Session in Lausanne "decided on a change to Bye-law 3 of Rule 40". The text now in force reads: "Competitors, team officials and other team personnel who participate in the Olympic Games may allow their person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games in accordance with the principles determined by the IOC Executive Board." The change is in the framing, from a prohibition with exceptions to a permission with conditions; the June 2026 Charter amendments did not touch it.^{[7] [1] [2]}

The Key Principles, and the national layer where the numbers diverge

The Executive Board's principles are published before each Games. For Paris 2024 the Games Period ran from 18 July, when the Village opened, to 13 August, two days after the Closing Ceremony — 27 days. Generic advertising by a non-Olympic partner must "not make any connection with the Olympic Games (other than by featuring you as an Olympic athlete)", "be regularly in market at least 90 days before the Games Period", and "be run consistently and not escalated during the Games Period". During the period an athlete "may provide one simple 'thank-you' message to each of your Non-Olympic Partner personal sponsors", with no Olympic properties, no venue or ceremony images, no uniform or medal, no product endorsement; congratulatory advertising is for Olympic partners only. Multi-territory campaigns were to be notified to the IOC by 18 June 2024, single-territory campaigns to the national committee. On sanctions, "The IOC recommends to NOCs that, in principle, monetary measures should be favoured as sanctions rather than sporting sanctions" — the German commitment's logic, generalised. Athlete365 records that the 2019 principles were "further confirmed in June 2025" for Milano Cortina 2026.^[9] [8]

The national committee is where the numbers diverge. The IOC's one thank-you message per sponsor is a floor. Team GB's Paris 2024 guidelines allowed "one message per sponsor on any one day; three messages per sponsor throughout the Games Period; a maximum of ten 'thank you' messages per athlete", and required that a personal sponsor's campaign had been notified to the BOA and in market by 4 July 2024. The USOPC replaced its waiver with a Personal Sponsor Commitment, a contract the sponsor signs, after which generic marketing is permitted along with seven thank-you posts by the athlete and one congratulatory message by the sponsor; its Milano Cortina 2026 period ran from 30 January to 24 February 2026. The DOSB, bound by the cartel commitments, requires no notification at all, allows new campaigns, and has struck words such as "Podest", "Medaille", "Sommer" and "Winter" from its banned list. No LA28-specific principles had been published as of September 2026.^{[11] [10] [4] [6]}

Kit and logos, in square centimetres, with the edition

Olympic kit: the manufacturer's mark only. The first paragraph of the bye-law to Rule 50 provides that "No form of publicity or propaganda, commercial or otherwise, may appear on persons, on sportswear, accessories or, more generally, on any article of clothing or equipment whatsoever worn or used by all competitors… except for the identification… of the manufacturer of the article or equipment concerned, provided that such identification shall not be marked conspicuously for advertising purposes." The IOC's Authorised Identifications guidelines for Milano Cortina 2026 give the sizes: "the size of an Identification of the Manufacturer shall not exceed 30 cm² for Clothing", with one product-technology mark of up to 10 cm²; armbands 6 cm²; bags 10 per cent of surface up to 60 cm²; socks 10; gloves 8; headgear 10, or two of 5 above the ears; eyewear and footwear as sold at retail at least six months before the Games, and "personalised Footwear is not permitted". Stretch fabric is measured stretched. Only one manufacturer mark per item, and "where the Identification of the Manufacturer is not a Sport Brand… such identification constitutes conspicuous advertising and so shall not be permitted" — the clause that stops a non-sports company buying its way onto kit as a "manufacturer". Headphones, water bottles, towels, tape, mouth guards and face masks may carry no mark at all; no athlete's name, club, hashtag or QR code may appear on any item. Sport-specific guidelines sit beneath the general ones: skating, for instance, allows 20 cm² on each blade and lets skaters put their own names on warm-up clothing.^{[1] [12] [13]}

World Athletics: 40 plus 40. The Marketing and Advertising Regulations for clothing, approved 21 March 2023 and effective 1 December 2023, allow on a competition top one manufacturer mark of 40 cm² (five centimetres high by ten long) and one national sponsor mark of 40 cm², or two different national sponsors where there is no manufacturer mark; plus the country emblem and the country name or athlete name at ten centimetres high. Other apparel — socks, headgear, gloves, glasses — takes a 6 cm² mark, three centimetres high. Bibs are 24 by 16 centimetres and may carry up to two commercial affiliates. Marketing of betting and gambling products "are prohibited, unless specifically approved in writing" after consulting the Athletics Integrity Unit; alcohol is permitted below 20 per cent ABV; tobacco is prohibited.^{[14] [15] [16]}

Football: 20 for the manufacturer, and a national-team ban on sponsors. FIFA's Equipment Regulations, approved 3 October 2024 and in force from 1 January 2025, allow "One Manufacturer Identifier no bigger than 20cm²" on the chest, one per sleeve or a band, one on the shorts, and combined marks of 20 cm² on the socks. Article 12.1 is the rule that matters: "Sponsor Advertising and/or third-party advertising is not permitted on the Playing Kit or any other playing item of a Team representing a Member Association in a Competition or an International Friendly Match." Clubs may carry FIFA-approved sponsor advertising only where it also appears in their domestic or continental kit that season; tobacco, drinks above 15 per cent ABV and weapons are barred. UEFA's Equipment Regulations, enforced from 1 June 2024, say the same for its competitions — "Sponsor advertising on playing shirts is only allowed in UEFA club competitions… In all other UEFA competitions, sponsor advertising on playing attire is prohibited" — and set the club allowances: a front-of-shirt sponsor of up to 200 cm² and one left-sleeve sponsor of up to 100 cm², twelve centimetres high, both approved by the national association, with a 20 cm² manufacturer mark above. The AFC's 2025 regulations carry the same split, with a 200 cm² front sponsor for clubs and none for national teams.^{[17] [18] [19] [20] [22] [23]}

The structural difference in one line: Olympic kit carries a manufacturer's mark of 30 cm² and nothing else; professional kit carries a manufacturer's mark and a sponsor allowance; and national-team football is the exception where sponsor advertising on playing kit is banned everywhere.

Personal sponsor against team sponsor: the shoe carve-out

Footwear is the classic exception in team and national-team sport, and World Athletics writes it into the regulation: "Athletes can wear the shoes of their personal shoe sponsor/supplier (this includes an Athlete's own shoe brand) on the Field of Play. As such Member Federations are not permitted to direct an Athlete to wear shoes produced by the manufacturer of the National Team Kit on the Field of Play except on the podium. The size of the name/Logo of the manufacturer of shoes worn by an Athlete is not restricted." FIFA's regulations "do not restrict the types of footwear" and players on one team "may wear footwear… made by different manufacturers"; UEFA imposes "no restrictions as to the number, size, positioning or colouring" of boot identifications. The NFL, whose uniform partner is Nike, opened warm-up cleats to customisation in 2017 while barring unapproved trademarks. The IOC's version is narrower: the sponsor's retail shoe, on sale six months before the Games, but no personalised or named version.^{[14] [17] [21] [24] [12]}

When the clause fails, the team does not play. Denmark's national-team agreement expired after the 2018 World Cup and the dispute, in a law-firm account, "concerns the control of individual commercial rights and the extent to which they can be marketed to generate income for the DBU". The federation rejected a temporary extension on 2 September 2018, fielded futsal and lower-league players against Slovakia three days later and lost 3–0, struck a temporary deal on 6 September and beat Wales with a full side on the ninth. In France, each international is invited on first call-up to sign a convention committing them to federal sponsors' marketing operations; Kylian Mbappé refused sponsor photo sessions in March and September 2022, as reported at the time, over categories he declined to endorse, and the federation undertook to revise the convention.^[25] [26]

The standard solutions now are four: the footwear exception written into federation rules; a fixed number of sponsor activation days in the national-team agreement with a right to decline categories; collective licensing through the players' association, so that the federation's use of the team image is licensed rather than assumed; and the Rule 40 thank-you and generic-campaign allowances, which let a personal sponsor stay visible without touching Games or team property.

What an athlete may display, and where

The same item is regulated three ways by three bodies. Headgear: IOC 10 cm², or two of 5 above the ears; World Athletics 6 cm²; Grand Slam tennis "One (1) manufacturer's identification not to exceed two (2) square inches (13 sq.cm)". Bottles: unbranded at the Olympics; branded at a World Athletics event only if the drinks company is a commercial affiliate; at the Grand Slams the tournament supplies them and "No other drink containers or towels will be allowed unless approved by the Referee". Bags: IOC up to 60 cm²; World Athletics a manufacturer mark and a national sponsor mark of 40 cm² each; the Grand Slams the manufacturer's marks "plus two (2) separate commercial identifications on one (1) tennis equipment manufacturer's bag", neither above four square inches. Ceremonies are stricter than competition at the Olympics: "No Sports Equipment or Accessories may be brought to the flower or victory ceremony", watches and jewellery only if not worn for advertising, phones out of sight.^{[12] [15] [27]}

Tape over the logo is required in one place and forbidden in another. The IOC requires covering: non-compliant items "shall be removed or covered (as applicable)". World Athletics regulates the tape: "Any medical or general tape used by an Athlete may be either a plain colour or have the Country name/Country Emblem on the tape. Any commercial name/Logo on medical or general tape must be approved in writing." The 2026 Grand Slam Rule Book forbids the cure: "Any player who violates this Section may be ordered… to change his attire or equipment immediately. No taping over of such attire shall be allowed. Failure of a player to comply with such order may result in immediate default." A fine of up to USD 250,000 attaches to identification and attire violations not resulting in default — the only published monetary ceiling among the bodies on this page.^{[12] [15] [27]}

Tennis patches, in the Rule Book's own units. Sleeves: "One (1) manufacturer's identification on each sleeve neither of which exceeds eight (8) square inches (52 sq.cm)", and on the sleeves or front "Two (2) commercial (non-manufacturer's) identifications, neither of which shall exceed three (3) square inches (19.5 sq.cm)"; front, back and collar two manufacturer's marks of two square inches or one of four; shoes and racquet unrestricted; a player's own name collection may substitute for the manufacturer's mark; size is measured by the smallest circle, triangle or rectangle drawn around the patch. Gambling companies, casinos, lotteries and fantasy-sport brands may not appear on player clothing. Golf is the outlier: the R&A and USGA's guidance states that "The Rules do not place any restrictions on the number or size of commercial logos that amateur golfers may have on their clothing or equipment", leaving limits to individual organisers.^[27] [28]

Image rights, and the categories nobody may sell

Who owns the athlete's face depends on how many faces are in the picture. In American team sport the union owns the group: a player who signs the NFLPA's Group Licensing Assignment "gives the NFLPA the exclusive right to use his name, number, likeness, voice, facsimile signature, photograph, picture and/or biographical information… in licensed programs involving six or more players", keeping his individual endorsements. In football the same function is performed across borders by FIFPRO's commercial arm, which "brings together agreements from each participating country" to license "tens of thousands of real-world football players, their names, image and likeness, in both club and national team environments" — the licence, renewed with EA in October 2021, that kept player likenesses in the game after the FIFA name left it. In American college sport the settlement approved on 6 June 2025 in the House litigation provides USD 2.8 billion in back pay for athletes who competed from 2016 to 2024 without name-image-likeness compensation, and lets schools pay athletes directly up to about USD 20.5 million each in 2025–26 (see NIL and college eligibility). For the Olympic team, Rule 40's bye-law is in substance an image-rights clause: the athlete owns the image and the IOC regulates its commercial use for the Games period, with the national committee's team agreement layered on top. National teams sit between: the Danish dispute above was about exactly this, and the US women's 2017 collective agreement gave the players some control of licensing and marketing rights through their association.^{[29] [30] [31] [9] [32]}

Betting. Spain's Royal Decree 958/2020 provides in article 12.4 that "No será admisible el patrocinio en camisetas o equipaciones deportivas", a provision the Supreme Court left standing when it annulled other articles in April 2024; World Athletics and the Grand Slams bar it on kit as above; England's front-of-shirt withdrawal from 2026–27 is a voluntary club agreement. The details are on betting and sport.^[34]

Alcohol. France's Loi Évin of 1991, now in the public-health code, prohibits sponsorship whose object or effect is advertising for alcoholic drinks above 1.2 per cent ABV, with no television exception — which is why Heineken's European rugby competition was shown as the "H Cup" in France and why Carlsberg advertised at Euro 2016 as "Probably". The federations set their own thresholds for kit: FIFA and UEFA bar drinks above 15 per cent ABV, World Athletics permits below 20.^{[35] [36] [17] [20]}

Tobacco. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control entered into force on 27 February 2005 and article 13 "requires Parties to undertake a comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship" within five years; the European directive of 2003 took effect from July 2005 and Formula One's last visibly tobacco-backed champion was crowned in 2006. Every kit rule on this page now bans tobacco outright, and FIFA, World Athletics and the Grand Slams name e-cigarettes as well.^{[37] [38] [16] [17] [20] [27]}

Crypto produced no sports rule, only a cautionary tale: FTX filed for bankruptcy on 11 November 2022 and Miami-Dade County, which had put the name on the Heat's arena under a 19-year, USD 135 million agreement — a public-body contract — moved to terminate eleven days later.^[39]

Enforcement, ambush law and the money

Who polices what. At the Olympics the national committee is responsible for its delegation's items, the federations check equipment, and the IOC and organising committee order removal or covering, with disqualification and loss of accreditation as the ceiling; Rule 40 is overseen by the IOC for multi-territory advertising and by the national committee otherwise. World Athletics acts through the referee on the day and an Advertising Commissioner appointed by Council, with sanctions from a warning to disqualification and a declaration "that prize money shall not be payable". Tennis acts through the chair umpire, supervisor or referee, with default and the USD 250,000 ceiling. Only tennis publishes a tariff.^{[12] [9] [15] [27]}

Host countries legislate, differently. Britain's Olympic Symbol etc. (Protection) Act 1995 created an "Olympics association right" infringed by using the symbol, motto or a protected word in the course of trade; the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 added a London Olympics association right and let a court take into account combinations of "games", "2012" or "twenty twelve" with "gold, silver, bronze, London, medals, sponsor, summer" — single words were never banned, and the schedule expired on 31 December 2012. Brazil went further than any other host on this page: Lei 13.284 of 10 May 2016 made "marketing de emboscada por associação" and "por intrusão" offences punishable by "detenção de 3 (três) meses a 1 (um) ano ou multa", prosecuted on the organisers' complaint, with exclusive commercial zones around venues. France's law of 26 March 2018 extended Olympic property in the sports code and derogated from advertising rules "au profit des partenaires de marketing olympique dans un périmètre de 500 mètres" of each site from thirty days before the Games to fifteen after the Paralympics. Japan passed no ambush statute for Tokyo 2020, relying on trademark, unfair-competition and copyright law plus the organiser's guidelines.^{[40] [41] [42] [43] [33]}

The money, as dated anchors. The IOC's TOP programme produced USD 279 million in 1993–96, USD 2,295 million in 2017–2020/21 and USD 3,040 million in 2021–24 — 36 per cent of commercial revenue of USD 7.7 billion for the quadrennium, alongside broadcast revenue of USD 4,706 million. "The IOC distributes 90 per cent of its revenue to organisations throughout the Olympic Movement… retains 10 per cent"; summer federations received USD 590 million after Paris 2024, and the Olympic Solidarity budget for 2025–2028 is USD 650 million. FIFA budgeted USD 2,693 million from marketing rights for the 2023–2026 cycle. The eighteen Bundesliga clubs' advertising revenue — shirt and main sponsors plus stadium rights, a sum of club-level deals rather than a central pool — was EUR 1.146 billion in 2024/25, 22.4 per cent of their total. The IOC's own framing of why Rule 40 exists ties the Games-period limits to solidarity: "whilst some national Olympic teams receive substantial public funding to go to the Olympic Games, others receive none".^{[44] [47] [45] [46] [9]}