Samsung shines through the Olympics spotlight

Feb 11, 2026, 08:11 am

Samsung Electronics’ marketing prowess is most vividly displayed on the world’s biggest stage — the Olympic Games. Its presence goes far beyond stadium advertising boards. From the opening ceremony to medal presentations, Samsung’s “touch” is woven throughout the Games.

At the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, the opening ceremony was broadcast live using the Galaxy S25 Ultra, while medalists were seen taking selfies with Galaxy smartphones during award ceremonies — scenes broadcast worldwide. The so-called “victory selfie” was first introduced at the Paris Olympics and proved so successful that Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong personally remarked that the campaign had been “worthwhile.”

Samsung’s Olympic marketing history now spans four decades. The company first became involved as a local sponsor of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, before joining the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1997 as a TOP sponsor — the highest tier of global Olympic partnership — a status it has maintained for roughly 30 years. The late Chairman Lee Kun-hee is widely credited with spearheading Samsung’s entry into the TOP program, laying the groundwork for the global rise of the Samsung brand and its early mobile phones, then known as Anycall.

Lee Kun-hee was appointed an IOC member in 1996, a move that elevated not only his personal stature but also the global standing of both South Korea and Samsung. Building on that legacy, Kim Jae-yeol, president of Samsung Global Research, was appointed an IOC member in 2023.

According to financial data released by the International Olympic Committee on Feb. 10, total IOC revenue from 2021 to 2024 amounted to $7.7 billion, with 36 percent generated through TOP sponsorship marketing rights. This suggests that roughly $4 trillion won in revenue over three years came from TOP sponsors. Given that around 10 companies participate in the program annually, each sponsor is estimated to spend about 400 billion won over a three-year contract period, excluding additional marketing costs. Samsung alone reportedly spent more than 300 billion won on marketing and sponsorship during the Paris Olympics.

Samsung’s large-scale investment in Olympic marketing dates back to 1988. After becoming a TOP sponsor in 1997, the company officially began supporting the wireless communications category at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. This move aligned with Lee Kun-hee’s vision of “brand-centered management,” aimed at elevating Samsung’s brand value — seen as a key intangible asset and source of competitiveness — to a global level.

As a result, Samsung successfully shed its image as a mid- to low-priced electronics maker and redefined itself as a global consumer electronics leader. Samsung’s brand value grew from $3.1 billion in 1999 to $91.4 billion in 2023 — nearly a 30-fold increase.

Chairman Lee Jae-yong later expanded the Olympic strategy beyond branding, viewing it as part of Samsung’s responsibility as a representative Korean company. In 2014, while serving as vice chairman, he signed an agreement extending Samsung’s Olympic sponsorship through 2020 and expanded supported product categories to include tablets, laptops, desktops and printers. In 2018, Samsung further extended its IOC sponsorship through 2028, securing not only device categories but also rights related to 5G, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies.

Business circles expect Samsung to renew its TOP sponsorship beyond 2028, citing the program’s symbolic value and a sense of responsibility, as few Korean companies could realistically replace Samsung’s role.

Lee has also reinforced Samsung’s presence through sports diplomacy, attending Olympic events in person. On Feb. 5, he participated in an IOC-hosted gala dinner marking the opening of the Milan–Cortina Games as the sole representative of a Korean TOP sponsor. There, he interacted with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. He also attended a global business leaders’ luncheon hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron during the Paris Olympics.

#Samsung Electronics #Olympics #TOP sponsorship #Galaxy smartphone #victory selfie