Funding and sponsorship: the commercial impact of the 2012 London Olympic Games — some considerations

Since successfully gaining host city status for the Olympics in 2012, London’s ability to accommodate such an event has been the subject of much debate in the media. A significant part of their attention has focused upon the ever-increasing costs to host and stage the Games in London (BBC News, 2008a, 2008b; BBC Sport, 2007; Booth, 2008; Merrick, 2008; Neenan, 2008). The aim of this article is to discuss the commercial relationships between Olympic sponsors, the IOC and the bodies responsible for delivering London 2012 Olympic Games and to highlight any ethical implications emerging. The focus will be on the contrasting tensions between world-wide and domestic sponsorship for the Olympics. For example, the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984 changed the way in which Olympic sponsorship was conducted and the way in which Olympic sponsorship programmes have evolved since then. The article will then examine some domestic issues regarding the funding required to pay for the 2012 London Games and the use of National Lottery money towards this. Ethical considerations between the commercialization of the Olympics Games and the Olympic Movement are also raised as these may conflict with concerns for public health and the Olympic Ideal itself, now seemingly being underwritten and dependant upon the whims of commercial sponsorship.