• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, July 24, 2024

With the Paris Olympics just ahead, Dick’s Sporting Goods has set its big-game sights even further. The Pittsburgh-based retailer just announced an exclusive partnership with Team USA and LA28, which will make Dick’s the Official Sporting Goods Retail Provider of the Los Angeles games.

Dick’s, already an Official Supporter of Team USA for Paris 2024, is also signing on with Milano Cortina 2026, as the 2026 Winter Olympics are called.

The company is kicking off its love for the games with “Big Moments,” a 30-second compilation of user-generated sports content showing the powerful impact sports involvement has on ordinary kids. (And if you’re someone who cries after a few bars of the “Chariots of Fire” theme, consider yourself warned.)

Created by Arts & Letters Creative Co., ads are scheduled to appear during NBCUniversal's coverage of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.

And they are already running on social and streaming services. “For young athletes, seemingly small moments can be extraordinary,” says Kate Fedishen, Dick’s vice president of marketing, in the announcement. “We are taking these joyful, triumphant, real-world stories in youth sports and giving them the spotlight they deserve on the world's biggest stage."

The company also asks fans to share their most significant sports moments on social media, using #BigMomentsEveryDay as the tag.

Dick’s is starting that party by enlisting some of sports’ biggest influencers, including gymnasts Gabby Douglas and Dominique Dawes, skateboarder Tony Hawk and Ezra Frech, the Paralympian high jumper, to share their moments and interact with other fans

Dick’s first partnered with Team USA during Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018. It discontinued sponsorship in 2018, citing “a new investment focus.”

The announcement that the company is returning to the rings demonstrates just how vital event sponsorship can be to driving sales. Dick’s will continue to sell an array of Team USA-licensed products.

The company says the new deal unlocks opportunities to co-create exclusive LA28-branded gear with LA28 licensees.

The partnership also includes travel and training apparel for 11 Team USA national governing bodies, using Dick's-owned brands, beginning with USA Canoe/Kayak this summer.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Team USA's journey for years to come and are looking forward to welcoming the Summer Games back to the U.S. for the first time in more than 30 years," says Mark Rooks, Dick’s vice president, creative, sponsorships and entertainment, in the announcement. “We are exploring ways to engage the community, celebrate with fans across the country and further our investment in youth sports."