The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) could sell a stake in the commercial rights of the Team USA national team to private investors. The organisation stated that it is "considering a range of commercial models to raise greater funds to support its mission".
The proposed models include the establishment of a new company called United States Olympic and Paralympic Ventures (USOPV). The move comes as the United States prepares to host the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games and the 2034 Utah Winter Games.
The USOPC currently has a commercial partnership with the LA 2028 organising committee, under an agreement that expires after the Games. As first reported by Sky News and Reuters, the organisation has been holding talks on various options. According to minutes of USOPC board meetings, they received "encouraging feedback from preliminary discussions with potential investment and strategic partners [which] largely confirmed the vision for USOPV and the strategic rationale on which the initiative is based".
The USOPC is a non-profit organisation. In a statement, they noted: "The next decade represents an unprecedented opportunity for Team USA and the American Olympic and Paralympic movement." They added: "As part of our responsibility to maximise that opportunity for the athletes and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) we serve, the USOPC is considering a range of commercial models to raise greater funds to support its mission."
The organisation also highlighted: "Throughout this process, we are in constant communication with athlete and NGB leaders, and that will continue." They also stated: "Any path forward will preserve the mission, governance, leadership and commitment of the USOPC to Team USA athletes." They further noted: "This is a moment of real momentum for Team USA. With LA28 and Utah 2034 on home soil, and Team USA commercial rights returning to the USOPC after the LA28 Games, we are building capacity for better growth and support for the movement for generations to come."
The news comes at a time when the world of football is sharply divided over the failed plan by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, which triggered a significant negative reaction.
