Cisco

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Cisco became the Official Network Equipment Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA on June 20, 2024. The partnership extends Cisco's Olympic involvement, which dates back to London 2012 and has continued through every subsequent Games: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024, and now Milano Cortina 2026.

Cisco's role is to deliver secure, AI-powered networking infrastructure across the numerous venues throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area, ensuring reliable connectivity for athletes, officials, media, broadcasters, and fans. The partnership also includes a social impact component through the Cisco Networking Academy, which will create digital skills training opportunities for people in Los Angeles.

The deal also covers NBC Sports' production needs. Cisco has partnered with NBC Sports for more than a decade, providing the networking backbone for the broadcaster's all-IP production of the Games. For Milano Cortina 2026, Cisco is deploying IP Fabric for Media technology at the International Broadcast Center in Milan.

1. OLYMPIC HISTORY & MARKETING PRESENCE

1.1 Partnership Timeline & Evolution

London 2012 Cisco's first Official Partner role at the Olympic Games. Provided networking infrastructure and connectivity across Olympic venues.

Rio 2016 Continued as Official Partner, extending networking and cybersecurity capabilities across Rio venues.

Tokyo 2020 (held 2021) Maintained partnership through the pandemic-affected Games, adapting to the unique operational requirements of a largely spectator-free event.

Paris 2024 Full activation as Official Partner. Key deployments included: - 10,000 wireless access points installed across Paris venues - Cisco Catalyst IR1800 Rugged Series Routers in 20 media coaches, connecting to Orange's 5G network - Cisco Spaces providing single sign-on captive portal for secure Wi-Fi access - Private 5G core deployment with Orange using Intel technology - NBC Sports production support: 7,000+ hours of programming, including 5,000 hours streaming on digital platforms

Milano Cortina 2026 (Current) - NBC Sports selected Cisco to provide AI networking technology for its all-IP production of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics (Feb. 6-22 and March 6-15) - Cisco IP Fabric for Media deployed at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in Milan, supporting secure transport of UHD video, audio, and data between Italy and the United States - First-time VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) deployment: Prioritizing operational efficiency and flexibility in live production, dissolving geographic barriers - ASR-based MPLS Segment Routed WAN: Expanded to support growing traffic needs, leveraging Cisco CrossWorks Network Controller (CNC) and WAN Automation Engine (WAE) - New mobility and wireless technologies putting viewers closer to the action than ever before - Virtualized networking technologies supporting flexible routing and distributed production operations

1.2 Signature Programs

• NBC Sports Production Partnership: Over a decade of providing networking for NBC's Olympic broadcasts, enabling the transition to all-IP production
• Cisco Networking Academy: Digital skills training program deployed in host cities as part of Olympic social impact commitments
• Cybersecurity: Cisco positions itself as the security backbone of the Games, protecting against the massive spike in cyberattack attempts that target every Olympics

2. LA28-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES

2.1 Announced Plans & Positioning

• Cisco's AI-powered networking solutions will be deployed across venues throughout the LA metropolitan area
• Secure and reliable connectivity for all stakeholders: athletes, coaches, officials, media, broadcasters, fans
• Cisco Networking Academy will deliver social impact programming in Los Angeles, creating digital skills training opportunities
• Continued partnership with NBC Sports for broadcast production infrastructure

LA28 Venue Context: The Games will use 40+ competition venues across the LA metro area, with a dual-venue Opening Ceremony shared between the LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium (announced May 2025). SoFi Stadium will be reconfigured for swimming in Week 2 (38,000 capacity, largest swimming venue in Olympic history). Athletics moves to Week 1 at the Coliseum. LA28 announced a first-of-its-kind venue naming rights program in August 2025, with named venues including Intuit Dome (basketball), Honda Center (volleyball), Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios (squash), and Peacock Theater (weightlifting/boxing). Cisco's networking infrastructure must connect all of these dispersed sites and support T-Mobile's 5G deployment as LA28's Official Telecommunications Services Provider across 110+ connected locations and 40+ competition venues. Soccer venues in six cities nationwide extend the networking challenge beyond the LA metro area.

2.2 Regulatory/Market Context

As an enterprise networking company, Cisco faces minimal regulatory complexity in its Olympic role. The LA28 activation benefits from Cisco's large existing presence in Southern California (the company's headquarters are in San Jose). The multi-venue, geographically dispersed nature of LA28, with events spread across the greater LA area rather than concentrated in a single park, creates a more complex networking challenge than prior Games but plays to Cisco's enterprise deployment strengths.

3. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & DECISION-MAKERS

3.1 C-Suite Leadership

• Chuck Robbins: Chair and Chief Executive Officer (CEO since July 2015; elected Chair December 2017)
• Jeetu Patel: President and Chief Product Officer (promoted to President in 2025)
• Mark Patterson: Chief Financial Officer (stepped into role at start of FY2026, previously EVP and Chief Strategy Officer)

3.2 Olympic Partnership Leadership

Not publicly disclosed at the individual level. Cisco's Olympic partnerships likely sit within the company's global marketing and brand organization.

3.3 Board Members with Relevant Experience

Not specifically identified in public filings related to sports or Olympic governance.

4. AGENCY & CREATIVE PARTNERS

4.1 Agency Model

Cisco operates a hybrid model with both in-house creative capabilities and external agency partnerships.

4.2 Known Agency/Partner Relationships

• Ogilvy: Creative agency of record (recent win)
• DWA (David Wood and Associates Media): Global media planning and buying agency of record
• Isobar: Digital marketing innovation agency of record, embedded in Cisco's digital experiences division
• Velo: B2B marketing agency, working with Cisco since 2011 across EMEAR, Americas, and APAC
• The Hatch: Cisco's in-house agency, complementing external agency partnerships

4.3 Notable Creative Executions

Cisco's Olympic marketing tends toward B2B thought leadership and technology storytelling rather than consumer-facing advertising. The company's Olympic content emphasizes the scale and complexity of the networking challenge: number of access points deployed, cybersecurity threats deflected, and hours of content delivered.

5. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

5.1 Market Share & Competitive Landscape

Cisco is the dominant player in enterprise networking equipment, with market-leading positions in switches, routers, wireless infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Key competitors include Arista Networks, Juniper Networks (acquired by HPE in 2024), Palo Alto Networks (in cybersecurity), and Huawei (in international markets). None of these competitors hold Olympic or comparable global sports sponsorships.

Cross-Sponsor Technology Stack: Cisco's Olympic networking infrastructure intersects with other LA28 technology partners: CDW (IT equipment provider), Snowflake (data platform), and Google (cloud and AI). Together these companies form the technology backbone underpinning Games operations.

5.2 Olympic Sponsorship Differentiation

Cisco's Olympic positioning is category-exclusive. No other networking equipment company can use Olympic marks or claim an official partnership. The Games serve as a showcase for Cisco's ability to deploy and manage complex, large-scale networking environments under extreme conditions, which translates directly into enterprise sales conversations. Cisco's role is uniquely operational: the company builds and manages the networking infrastructure that enables broadcast, scoring, security, and communications across all Olympic venues.

5.3 Key Brand Messaging

• "Power an inclusive future for all" (company purpose)
• AI-powered networking and security
• Secure connectivity at scale
• Digital skills empowerment through Cisco Networking Academy
• Decade-plus track record of Olympic delivery

6. KEY METRICS & BUSINESS CONTEXT

6.1 Financial Performance

• FY2025 Q3 Revenue: $14.1 billion (11% YoY increase)
• FY2025 Q3 Net Income: $2.5 billion (32% YoY increase)
• FY2026 Q1 Revenue: $14.9 billion (8% YoY increase; product revenue up 10%, services up 2%)
• FY2026 Q1 Non-GAAP Net Income: $4.0 billion ($1.00/share)
• AI Infrastructure Orders: CEO Robbins has predicted more than $1 billion in AI infrastructure orders in the current fiscal year
• Market Capitalization: ~$240 billion (February 2026)
• Stock: CSCO (NASDAQ)

6.2 Olympic Period Performance

Cisco's Olympic partnerships are B2B brand-building investments rather than direct consumer revenue drivers. The company does not break out Olympic-specific financial metrics. The value proposition is reinforcing Cisco's position as the trusted infrastructure provider for the world's most demanding networking environments.

APPENDIX: KEY SOURCES

Official Sources

• Cisco LA28 Press Release: newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2024/m06/cisco-becomes-official-partner-of-the-la28-olympic-paralympic-games-and-team-usa.html
• LA28 Announcement: la28.org/en/newsroom/cisco-official-partner-of-la28-and-team-usa.html
• Cisco Investor Relations: investor.cisco.com
• Cisco Paris 2024 Case Study: cisco.com/site/us/en/about/case-studies-customer-stories/paris-olympics.html

Industry Analysis

• Light Reading: Cisco lands deal for LA Olympics in 2028
• Sportcal: Cisco carries on Olympics relationship through LA28 deal
• NewscastStudio: The technology powering NBC's Milan Cortina Winter Olympics coverage

Financial Filings

• Cisco FY2025 Q3 Earnings Report
• Cisco FY2026 Q1 Earnings Report (November 2025)

End of Research Brief