Delta Air Lines | LA28 Sponsor Research

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Delta Air Lines is the inaugural Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Official Airline of Team USA. The eight-year partnership, announced in 2020 and valued at approximately $400 million (including an NBCUniversal media component), makes Delta the first company to sign on at the highest tier of LA28 sponsorship. The deal covers all U.S. Olympic and Paralympic participation through Beijing 2022, Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026, and LA28.

Delta's Olympic involvement builds on a history stretching back to Atlanta 1996, the airline's hometown Games. The partnership positions Delta as the logistical backbone of Team USA, managing all athlete travel to and from the Games, while simultaneously driving brand premium messaging around connectivity, aspiration, and the emotional journey of competition.

The LA28 Games represent a culmination of Delta's domestic sponsorship strategy. As the largest U.S. airline by revenue and passenger traffic at its Los Angeles hub (LAX), Delta is well-positioned to capitalize on the massive international travel demand the Games will generate. CEO Ed Bastian has been personally invested in the Olympic partnership, attending Paris 2024 and positioning the sponsorship as central to Delta's premium brand identity.

1. OLYMPIC HISTORY & MARKETING PRESENCE

1.1 Partnership Timeline & Evolution

Pre-Partnership History - Atlanta 1996: Delta sponsored the Centennial Olympic and Paralympic Games in its hometown of Atlanta, Georgia - Salt Lake City 2002: Official Airline Sponsor of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games; also served as Official Charter Flight Provider for the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay

Current Partnership Era (2020-2028)

2020: Announced multi-year partnership as Official Airline of Team USA and Founding Partner of LA28

Beijing 2022 - Custom A350 aircraft livery unveiled with red, white, and blue Team USA branding - Television spots debuted during NBC's Beijing Opening Ceremony coverage - Wieden+Kennedy produced five TV spots featuring athlete training footage intercut with Delta jet engine imagery

Paris 2024 - 15 Team USA athlete ambassadors including Gabby Thomas (Track & Field), Sara Hughes & Kelly Cheng (Beach Volleyball), Jagger Eaton (Skateboarding), Victor Montalvo (Breaking), and Brooke Raboutou (Climbing) - Custom Airbus A350 livery (registered N521DN) featuring Eiffel Tower-inspired design evolving from the Beijing livery - Transported 1,100+ Olympic Team members and ~900 Paralympic Team members (athletes, staff, coaches) - "Flight Paths" social content series profiling four athletes' journeys to the Games - Delta media campaign celebrating "spirit of resilience and the unsung heroes" behind Team USA - CEO Ed Bastian attended Paris Games (notably during the airline's CrowdStrike-related IT outage recovery)

Milano Cortina 2026 - Custom Airbus A350 Team USA livery: Unveiled at Delta's TechOps hangar in Atlanta at the 100-day countdown, designed to carry Team USA athletes, families, and fans to the Winter Games. - "From Altitude to Arrival" campaign: New advertising campaign honoring Team USA's journey to Milano Cortina 2026, running across broadcast, digital, and social platforms. - Team Delta athlete ambassadors: Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing legend, historic return), Maia and Alex Shibutani ("Shib Sibs," ice dance), Amber Glenn (figure skating), Declan Farmer (three-time Paralympic gold medalist, sled hockey, whose mother Patti Farmer is a Delta flight attendant), and Justin Schoenefeld (aerial skiing, Beijing 2022 gold medalist). - Continued "Fueled by Delta" brand platform, managing logistics of transporting U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and their gear, families, and fans to the Games.

1.2 Signature Programs

Athlete Ambassador Program: Curated roster of ~15 athletes per Games cycle, spanning Olympic and Paralympic sports
Team USA Aircraft Livery: Custom-painted A350 serving transatlantic routes, updated for each Games
LA28 Volunteer Program: Delta will help create and staff the 25,000+ person volunteer program
LA28 Sustainability Collective: Partner in reducing environmental impact of the Games

2. LA28-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES

2.1 Announced Plans & Positioning

Official Airline Operations: Delta will manage all Team USA travel logistics for the home Games, including charter flights from training camps nationwide
LAX Hub Advantage: Delta operates its second-largest hub at LAX, handling significant international and domestic traffic. The Games will drive massive passenger demand through Delta's strongest West Coast gateway.
Volunteer Program Presenting Sponsor: The "LA28 Volunteer Program Presented by Delta Air Lines" launched in 2026. The program includes monthly Shine LA community activations in partnership with local organizations (wildfire recovery, hunger relief, youth sport, community development), building a foundation of civic engagement ahead of the Games. Registered volunteers receive email invitations for specific events based on their location and interests. This is the first time a single corporate partner has been the presenting sponsor of the entire Olympic volunteer program.
Sustainability Partnership: Delta has committed to environmental targets aligned with LA28's carbon-reduction goals, though specifics have not been disclosed
LA28 Emblem Launch: Delta and LA28 collaborated on a joint emblem launch event, signaling deep brand integration

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). LA28 will be the first Games since 1948 built entirely on existing infrastructure. The 50-state Olympic torch relay, beginning April 2028 (a first in Olympic history, announced by LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover), will generate travel demand across Delta's nationwide route network. Soccer venues in six cities nationwide (New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, San Diego) create additional travel demand to non-LA destinations.

2.2 Regulatory/Market Context

Delta's premium positioning in the airline industry aligns with LA28's emphasis on elevating the sponsor experience. The airline's $400 million investment is the only publicly disclosed Founding Partner deal value, providing a benchmark for the tier. Delta's strong financial performance (record revenue and free cash flow in 2025) provides the financial foundation to sustain activation spending through 2028.

3. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & DECISION-MAKERS

3.1 C-Suite Leadership

Ed Bastian: Chief Executive Officer since May 2016. Longest-serving CEO among major U.S. airlines. Named to TIME100 in 2025; received the Tony Jannus Award (aviation's highest individual honor) in 2025. Received the Yale Legend in Leadership Award. Bastian confirmed in 2025 that Delta's board would select an internal successor when he retires, though he stated he has "a number of years to go."
Glen Hauenstein: President. Assumed role May 2016 after serving as EVP and Chief Revenue Officer. Oversees revenue strategy including sponsorship partnerships.

3.2 Olympic Partnership Leadership

Tim Mapes: Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (historical; role may have evolved). Has driven Delta's premium brand positioning and Olympic activation strategy.
Emmakate Young: VP of Marketing; led Paris 2024 activation

3.3 Board Members with Relevant Experience

Delta's board includes directors with media, entertainment, and consumer brand experience, though specific names with direct Olympic relevance beyond the C-suite are not publicly highlighted in the partnership context.

4. AGENCY & CREATIVE PARTNERS

4.1 Agency Model

Delta works with a lead external creative agency supplemented by in-house content production for athlete-focused and social media content.

4.2 Known Agency/Partner Relationships

Wieden+Kennedy New York: Longtime creative agency partner and agency of record. Produced all major Olympic campaign spots including Beijing 2022 television ads and the "Kaleidoscope" brand campaign featuring Viola Davis
MJZ: Production company for Olympic TV spots
Preymaker: Visual effects studio for Olympic campaign production

4.3 Notable Creative Executions

Beijing 2022 "Time" Spots: Five W+K-produced TV spots intercutting athlete training with spinning jet engine and clock imagery, emphasizing the preciousness of time
Paris 2024 "Flight Paths": Social-first content series profiling athletes' journeys
A350 Team USA Livery: Rolling brand activation as the custom aircraft flies commercial routes, serving as an ambient marketing vehicle between Games periods
"Kaleidoscope" (Non-Olympic): W+K brand campaign with Viola Davis positioning Delta as a connector of people and places

5. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

5.1 Market Share & Competitive Landscape

Delta is the most profitable U.S. airline and the industry's premium carrier benchmark. In 2025, Delta generated $63.4 billion in revenue, with premium revenue growing 7% year-over-year. The airline's diversified revenue model, including the $8.2 billion American Express co-brand relationship, reduces dependence on base fares.

Key Competitors and Their Sports Sponsorship Strategies: - United Airlines: Ended its 40-year Team USA partnership in 2021, citing cost concerns. United had been Team USA's official airline since the 1980 Lake Placid Games. The departure created the opening Delta filled. United continues to sponsor individual sports properties (e.g., PGA Tour) but has no Olympic affiliation. - American Airlines: No Olympic partnership. Sponsors the Dallas Cowboys and select regional sports properties but has not pursued Olympic-level sponsorship. - Southwest Airlines: No Olympic or major sports league partnership comparable to Delta's Team USA deal. - International carriers: Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines sponsor individual sports but none hold Olympic partnerships. Qantas sponsors the Australian Olympic team.

Delta's LAX hub (its second-largest after Atlanta) creates an operational advantage for LA28 that no competitor can match.

5.2 Olympic Sponsorship Differentiation

Delta fills the airline category that opened when Toyota ended its IOC TOP sponsorship after Paris 2024 (Toyota's reported deal was $835 million globally). While not a direct replacement (Toyota held a global automotive TOP deal; Delta holds a domestic airline partnership), Delta's entry reflects LA28's strategy of recruiting operationally relevant domestic partners. Delta's partnership is more integrated than a typical sponsorship: the airline physically transports Team USA athletes, staff, and equipment to and from the Games.

United's 2021 exit from the Team USA partnership underscored the challenge of justifying Olympic sponsorship costs without a home-market Games. Delta's deal, timed to coincide with a Los Angeles Games connected to Delta's LAX hub, addresses that ROI question directly.

5.3 Key Brand Messaging

Premium Experience: "The world's premier international airline"
Human Connection: Athletes' journeys as metaphor for Delta's role in connecting people
Aspiration: Olympic partnership reinforcing Delta's positioning above legacy carrier peers
Hometown Pride: Atlanta 1996 heritage connecting to LA28 as a domestic Games

6. KEY METRICS & BUSINESS CONTEXT

6.1 Financial Performance

2025 Annual Revenue: $63.4 billion (2.3% increase over 2024)
Pre-Tax Profit: $5 billion with double-digit operating margin
Free Cash Flow: Record $4.6 billion
Earnings Per Share: $5.82
Premium Revenue Growth: 7% year-over-year
American Express Remuneration: $8.2 billion (11% growth), representing 60% of diversified revenue streams
2026 Guidance: March quarter revenue expected to grow 5-7% year-over-year
Market Capitalization: ~$40 billion (February 2026)
Stock: DAL (NYSE)

6.2 Olympic Period Performance

Delta does not break out Olympics-specific revenue, but the airline's premium brand positioning and LAX hub traffic stand to benefit significantly from LA28 travel demand. The airline transported 1,100+ Olympic and ~900 Paralympic team members to Paris 2024, demonstrating operational capacity for large-scale Games logistics.

APPENDIX: KEY SOURCES

Official Sources

Delta News Hub: news.delta.com
Delta Investor Relations: ir.delta.com
LA28 Official Partners: la28.org/en/our-partners.html
USOPC Announcements: usopc.org

Industry Analysis

Sportico: LA28 Founding Partner Deal Coverage
Skift: Airline Marketing and Olympic Sponsorship
Campaign US: Delta Olympic Campaign Analysis

Financial Filings

Delta Air Lines Full Year 2025 Financial Results (January 2026)
Delta Air Lines Q3 2025 Earnings Report

End of Research Brief