The Olympic Games are coming to an end this weekend, but there are still some major competitions to look forward to that will have an impact on the final medal count, as well as on various brands.
One of the most anticipated events is the men’s basketball final on Sunday, where the U.S. team will be competing for its fifth consecutive gold medal. After a close call against Serbia in the semifinals, the U.S. will face off against France in the championship game. This game will showcase some of basketball’s biggest stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry, as they go up against Victor Wembanyama, a rising 20-year-old talent in the sport.
The U.S. women’s basketball team will be playing their semifinal game on Friday, with a likely showdown against Australia in the final on Saturday, where they will be aiming for their eighth consecutive gold medal.
In the women’s soccer event, the U.S. team will be facing Brazil for the gold on Saturday morning, looking to reclaim their dominance after falling short in the last two Olympics. On the men’s side, Spain will be competing against France for the gold, shortly after their victory in the UEFA Euro 2024.
Other notable events during the final Olympic weekend include women’s golf, men’s and women’s volleyball, as well as the men’s and women’s marathon.
Nike, a brand that has faced challenges this year with job cuts and a significant decline in stock value, is looking to capitalize on the success of its Olympic athletes to boost its brand image. The company launched the “Winning Isn’t for Everyone” campaign before the Olympics, showcasing its top athletes. While the Games did not start perfectly for Nike, with some athletes narrowly missing out on gold, the brand is poised for a potentially huge weekend.
Nike has already secured the men’s basketball title, and there are several other Nike athletes in contention for gold medals, including A’ja Wilson in women’s basketball, Sophia Smith in women’s soccer, Nelly Korda in golf, and Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon.
On the broadcasting side, NBCUniversal has seen strong viewership for the Paris Olympics, with an average of 34.5 million viewers during prime time in the first weekend, up 79% from the Tokyo Games. The network’s new format for measuring viewership, which combines viewership from France and the U.S., has contributed to this success. With the closing ceremony on Sunday and several U.S. teams and athletes still in contention, NBCU is expected to have another successful weekend of viewership.
In 2014, NBCU renewed its rights deal for both the Summer and Winter Games through 2032 for $7.65 billion, ensuring that viewers can continue to enjoy coverage of the Olympics for years to come.
