Honda

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Honda is a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Official Automotive Partner of Team USA, filling the void left by Toyota's departure from Olympic sponsorship after Paris 2024. Announced in June 2025, Honda's partnership covers the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games and LA28, with a reported deal value exceeding $200 million. The partnership includes venue naming rights for the Honda Center in Anaheim, which will host Olympic volleyball as one of the first commercially named venues in Olympic history.

The sponsorship carries deep symbolic resonance for Honda: the company established its first U.S. operations in Los Angeles in June 1959, making LA28 a homecoming of sorts. Honda's North American headquarters is in Torrance, California, approximately 15 miles from several LA28 venues. The partnership positions Honda's electrification strategy front and center, with the company committing to provide a diverse, accessible, and heavily electrified vehicle fleet for Games operations, including the upcoming Honda 0 Series EVs, Acura RSX, and the Motocompacto e-scooter.

Honda's entry comes at a challenging financial moment: the company downgraded its fiscal year 2026 projections significantly due to global tariff impacts, with operating profit expected to fall nearly 59%. The LA28 partnership represents a long-term brand investment during a period of near-term financial pressure.

1. OLYMPIC HISTORY & MARKETING PRESENCE

1.1 Partnership Timeline & Evolution

Honda has limited Olympic sponsorship history compared to Toyota, which held the IOC's automotive TOP Partnership from 2015 through 2024 (reported value: $835 million). Honda's prior Olympic-adjacent involvement includes:

• Collegiate Women Sports Awards: Honda has sponsored the Honda Cup, honoring the top collegiate female athlete, for nearly four decades. Numerous recipients have gone on to win Olympic medals.
• Paralympic Athlete Sponsorship: Honda sponsored three Paralympic athletes who competed at Paris 2024, including U.S. Paralympian Susannah Scaroni (gold medalist at Tokyo 2020).
• World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025: Honda signed a sponsorship agreement to provide electrified vehicles, serving as a test run for LA28 fleet operations.

LA28 Partnership Announcement (June 2025)

Honda was announced as LA28's fourth Founding Partner, following Delta, Comcast, and Starbucks. The partnership makes Honda the first automotive partner for Team USA since Toyota's departure.

1.2 Milano Cortina 2026

Milano Cortina 2026 marks Honda's first-ever Olympic Games activation:

• "This is The Power of Dreams" campaign: Honda's Olympics-themed marketing campaign running throughout the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, launched January 22, 2026, across broadcast, digital, and social platforms.
• 10 Team Honda athlete ambassadors: Honda selected 10 Team USA athletes as official ambassadors for the Winter Games (see 1.3 below for full roster).
• Team USA automotive partner: Honda is supporting Team USA as the Official Automotive Partner for the Milano Cortina 2026 cycle.
• This Winter Games activation serves as a dress rehearsal for the full-scale LA28 deployment.

1.3 Signature Programs

As a new Olympic sponsor, Honda's signature programs are still being developed. Announced elements include:

• Electrified Vehicle Fleet: Full range of Honda and Acura electrified vehicles for Games operations
• Accessible Mobility Solutions: Fleet designed with emphasis on accessibility for Paralympic Games
• $1 Million Community Donation: Four-year commitment to help individuals "reach their life's potential," aligned with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement
• Honda Center Venue Naming: First-ever retention of commercial naming rights at an Olympic Games venue
• Team Honda Athletes (Milano Cortina 2026): Honda announced 10 Team USA athlete ambassadors for the Winter Games:
• Kendall Coyne Schofield (Ice Hockey, USA) - Olympic gold medalist (PyeongChang 2018), widely regarded as one of the best American women's hockey players
• Ilia Malinin (Figure Skating, USA) - 2024 World Champion, first skater to land a quadruple axel in competition
• Madison Chock and Evan Bates (Ice Dance, USA) - World Champions and Olympic medalists
• Jordan Stolz (Speedskating, USA) - Youngest world all-around speedskating champion in history
• Declan Farmer (Para Ice Hockey, USA) - Three-time Paralympic gold medalist
• Brody Roybal (Para Ice Hockey, USA) - Multiple Paralympic medalist
• Brenna Huckaby (Para Snowboarding, USA) - Two-time Paralympic gold medalist (PyeongChang 2018)
• Audrey Crowley (Para Alpine Skiing, USA) - Emerging U.S. Paralympic talent
• Kaysha Love (Bobsled, USA) - Rising star in U.S. bobsled program

2. LA28-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES

2.1 Announced Plans & Positioning

• Honda Center (Anaheim): Will host Olympic volleyball as one of the first named venues in Olympic Games history. The Honda Center was originally scheduled to be referred to as "Arena in Anaheim" per traditional Olympic practice, but LA28's groundbreaking naming rights program allows commercial names to remain.
• Electrified Fleet Operations: Honda will provide vehicles for athlete, official, and operational transportation, "maximizing the use of electrified vehicles" including:
• Honda 0 Series (upcoming EV platform)
• Acura RSX
• Hybrid and plug-in hybrid Honda and Acura models
• Motorcycles, ATVs, and side-by-sides
• Motocompacto e-scooters
• Honda Marine engines
• Accessible Vehicle Fleet: Emphasis on accessibility for Paralympic athletes and spectators
• Team USA Partnership: Official Automotive Partner of Team USA for Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28

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, which will host the Closing Ceremony and earn the distinction of being the first venue in history to host events at three Olympic Games (1932, 1984, 2028). Honda's electrified fleet will service transportation needs across this dispersed footprint. The 50-state Olympic torch relay, beginning April 2028 (a first in Olympic history), creates additional vehicle deployment opportunities for Honda's fleet, particularly the Honda 0 Series EVs.

2.2 Regulatory/Market Context

Honda's LA28 partnership comes amid significant headwinds:

• Tariff Exposure: Honda's projected 59% decline in operating profit for FY2026 reflects vulnerability to U.S. tariff policy on Japanese automakers
• EV Transition: The Games provide a showcase for Honda's 0 Series EV platform, which is central to the company's electrification strategy but has not yet launched commercially in the U.S.
• Toyota Comparison: Toyota's decision to exit Olympic sponsorship after Paris 2024, citing activation ROI challenges, raises questions about the long-term value proposition for automotive sponsors. Honda's deal is domestic-only and at a fraction of Toyota's global spend.
• Los Angeles Market: Honda's deep roots in Southern California (HQ in Torrance since 1959) provide a local authenticity that few other automotive brands could match for LA28

3. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & DECISION-MAKERS

3.1 C-Suite Leadership

• Toshihiro Mibe: President and CEO, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (global). Leading Honda through its electrification transition and the Nissan merger discussions.
• Noriya Kaihara: President and CEO, American Honda Motor Co. Oversees all North American operations and is the primary executive for the LA28 partnership.

3.2 Olympic Partnership Leadership

• Specific individuals leading Honda's Olympic partnership activation have not been publicly identified. The partnership is managed through American Honda Motor Co.'s marketing division.

3.3 Board Members with Relevant Experience

Honda's board is predominantly composed of internal executives and Japanese directors. The LA28 partnership decision was driven by the American Honda subsidiary, reflecting the domestic nature of the sponsorship.

4. AGENCY & CREATIVE PARTNERS

4.1 Agency Model

Honda uses a multi-agency structure in the U.S., with separate agencies handling Honda brand, Acura brand, and media buying.

4.2 Known Agency/Partner Relationships

• RPA (Rubin Postaer and Associates): Long-standing creative agency of record for Honda brand in the U.S. Founded in 1986, RPA is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and was created specifically to serve the Honda account. Also handles Honda's approximately $600 million U.S. media buying business.
• Mullen Lowe: Creative agency for Acura brand (historically)
• Razorfish: Digital agency working collaboratively with brand creative agencies across Honda and Acura online properties

4.3 Notable Creative Executions

Olympic-specific creative from Honda has not yet been publicly released. The partnership was announced in June 2025, and first major activations are expected for Milano Cortina 2026.

5. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

5.1 Market Share & Competitive Landscape

Honda is the fourth-largest automaker globally and a top-five seller in the U.S. market. The company faces intense competition from Toyota, Hyundai/Kia, and the growing EV players (Tesla, BYD). Honda's FY2025 global revenue was 21.69 trillion yen (~$145 billion), up 6.2% year-over-year, though profitability declined.

Key Competitors and Their Sports/Olympic Sponsorship Strategies: - Toyota: Exited the IOC's TOP Programme after Paris 2024, ending an $835 million global deal. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda expressed frustration with the IOC's commercialization of the Games. Panasonic and Bridgestone similarly exited their TOP deals after Paris 2024, creating a wholesale Japanese corporate departure from Olympic sponsorship. - Hyundai/Kia: FIFA World Cup 2026 sponsor (with matches in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium). Hyundai holds no Olympic affiliation but its FIFA presence in the LA market creates direct competition for automotive attention during the same 2026-2028 window. - GM: No current Olympic partnership. GM has focused on EV marketing through individual campaigns rather than sports sponsorship platforms. - BMW: Official Mobility Partner of the IOC (TOP Programme). BMW's Olympic deal covers global mobility services, creating a dynamic where BMW holds global rights and Honda holds domestic U.S. rights.

Honda's domestic LA28 partnership gives it an exclusive automotive platform in the U.S. Olympic space, while BMW's global TOP deal operates at the IOC level.

5.2 Olympic Sponsorship Differentiation

Honda is the only automotive brand with an official LA28 or Team USA partnership. Toyota's departure from the IOC's TOP Programme created an opening that Honda has filled domestically. Unlike Toyota's global IOC deal, Honda's partnership is U.S.-focused, allowing for more targeted activation in its most important market.

The fleet showcase is a distinctive element: no other sponsor category provides both branded venue infrastructure (Honda Center) and operational logistics (vehicle fleet) to the Games themselves.

5.3 Key Brand Messaging

• "The Power of Dreams": Honda's global tagline, applicable to both athlete achievement and the company's innovation ethos
• Hometown Story: First U.S. operations in LA (1959); North American HQ in Torrance, CA
• Electrification Showcase: LA28 as the platform to demonstrate Honda's EV and mobility future
• Accessibility: Inclusive fleet design reflecting Paralympic values

6. KEY METRICS & BUSINESS CONTEXT

6.1 Financial Performance

• FY2025 Revenue: 21.69 trillion yen (~$145 billion), up 6.2% year-over-year
• FY2025 Operating Profit: Declined 12.2% vs. prior year
• FY2026 Forecast (Revised Down): Operating profit projected to fall ~59% to 500 billion yen; revenue expected to decline 6.4% due to tariff impacts
• North America: Revenue growth driven by motorcycle and automobile volume increases, though semiconductor shortages reduced production by ~110,000 units
• Market Capitalization: ~7.5 trillion yen (~$50 billion, February 2026)
• Stock: 7267 (TSE / Tokyo Stock Exchange); HMC (NYSE ADR)

6.2 Olympic Period Performance

No prior Olympic sponsorship performance data exists. Milano Cortina 2026 will be Honda's first Games activation, serving as a dress rehearsal for LA28.

APPENDIX: KEY SOURCES

Official Sources

• Honda Newsroom: hondanews.com
• American Honda: honda.com/teamusa
• LA28 Official Partners: la28.org/en/our-partners.html
• USOPC Announcements: usopc.org

Industry Analysis

• Sportico: "LA28 Adds Honda as Founding Partner in $2.5B Sponsorship Push"
• Marketing Brew: "How Honda became one of the first naming-rights partners of the Olympics"
• The Japan Times: Honda Olympic Partnership Coverage

Financial Filings

• Honda Motor Co. FY2025 Annual Results
• Honda Motor Co. FY2026 First Half Results and Revised Forecast

End of Research Brief