Opening ceremonies did not lead Samsung to end Olympics partnership | Fact check
The claim: Samsung ended $1 billion Olympics sponsorship over opening ceremonies
A July 30 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shares an image of what appears to be a Samsung news conference next to an image of Olympics opening ceremony performer DJ Barbara Butch.
“HOT NEWS: Samsung Drops Out of $1 Billion Advertising Campaign with Olympics, ‘They’ve Gone Woke,’” reads the post's caption.
The post was shared more than 2,500 times in a week, and the same claim was made across Facebook in English and Spanish.
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Our rating: False
Samsung is still an Olympics sponsor, according to the International Olympic Committee. The claim originated on a satirical website.
Samsung a sponsor through 2028, IOC says
The opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics on July 26 sparked intense reactions, with critics saying one performance mocked "The Last Supper," the mural depicting Jesus with his disciples before his crucifixion, while organizers insisted it was an homage to Dionysus and a pagan festival. Christian groups rebuked the ceremonies and the artistic director of the ceremonies reported receiving death threats over the imagery.
The controversy did not drive Samsung away, however. The company remains a sponsor, and the claim it canceled a $1 billion sponsorship deal originated with a satirical website.
The IOC media relations office said the claim was untrue and directed USA TODAY to the 2018 announcement of its agreement with the company that continues through 2028.
The company is still listed as a partner on the IOC’s website and the organization. Samsung did not respond to a request for comment, but there are no announcements about it ending its relationship with the Olympics on its website and there are no credible news reports about such a change.
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The same claim was first shared on July 28 by Esspots, a satirical website that is part of the SpaceXMania network of websites. Esspots carries a satire disclaimer on its website, and the original article was labeled as such.
The Facebook posts are examples of what could be called “stolen satire,” where stories written as satire and presented that way originally are captured and reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here.
USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook users who shared the claim for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
Reuters, AFP, PolitiFact and Snopes also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
International Olympic Committee, Aug. 2, Email exchange with USA TODAY
International Olympic Committee, accessed Aug. 2, Samsung - Official Partner | Olympic Sponsors | IOC
International Olympic Committee, Dec. 3, 2018, IOC and Samsung extend partnership through to 2028
Esspots, July 28, Breaking: Samsung Drops Out of $1 Billion Advertising Campaign with Olympics, “They’ve Gone Woke”
Esspots, accessed Aug. 2, About Us
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Samsung remains sponsor of Olympics through 2028 | Fact check
