SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIALS AIRING IN SUMMER OLYMPICS PROGRAMMING

It seems like just yesterday we were all working long hours to make sure our clients’ commercials were properly trafficked into the Vancouver Winter Olympics broadcasts.

And now here we go again, as the Summer Olympic Games are rapidly approaching. The Summer Games from London England will take place July 27 – August 12 of this year.

All television commercials airing in any pre-Olympic programming and during broadcasts of the Olympic Games will require an approval number from the Olympic Consortium, whether they contain any Olympic content or not.
The Consortium will screen every commercial to make sure there is no imagery that conflicts with the exclusivity agreements negotiated with Olympic sponsors.

To add to the approval process, if the client is an International Ring Rights Holder and intends to use the Olympic Rings Imagery, commercials will also need Athena approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
If the client is a Domestic Ring Rights holder and intends to use the official imagery, approval from the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) will be required.

These special Olympic approvals will be needed in addition to the standard Telecaster regulatory numbers, so submissions will require a much longer turn-around time.

We need to allow 3-5 business days for Consortium approvals and 10-20 days for COC and IOC approvals.

This process may take even longer as we get closer to the July 27 start of the Games, as the volume of commercials being submitted increases.

It is strongly recommended that scripts and storyboards are submitted as soon as possible so any potential issues or infractions can be red-flagged and corrected. It's easier and less expensive to fix problems before commercials are completed.
However, final approval numbers will not be issued until the Consortium and the COC/IOC have reviewed the finished spots.

Even though we have months to go before the Games begin, it's never too early to talk to your traffic coordinator and get a head start on this complex approvals process.