At the moment when the closing ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games concluded, NBC viewers did not receive a standard transition to regular programming. Instead, they were given sunny Los Angeles and the voice of Kate Hudson singing California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & the Papas, the first promotional spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Thus began the long-term marketing strategy for LA28.
The campaign represents the first major marketing move by NBCUniversal within the framework of its long-term ownership of the American media rights for the Olympic Games, which extend until 2036.
The two-minute spot “LA28 Dreamin’” is not a classic sports announcement, but rather a postcard of the host city. The camera moves through Venice Beach, Downtown LA and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, while alongside Hudson appear Olympic and Paralympic athletes from Team USA, a combination of established names and new prospects who could be at the forefront in 2028.
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LA will host the Olympics for the third time in 2028, the first time in 32 years that the Summer Games are being held on American soil. Jenny Storms, Chief Marketing Officer NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, described the campaign as “a love letter to the city and an invitation to dream forward to the Summer Games in 2028.”
The premiere during the Milano Cortina 2026 closing ceremony had precise media logic. The audience was already deeply emotionally invested in the Olympic story. Rather than waiting for the next cycle, NBC used that emotional peak to immediately direct viewers toward the next chapter. Unlike traditional commercial breaks, the spot was broadcast as a featured segment within the programme, ensuring high attention and minimal competitive noise.
The launch did not remain limited to the TV broadcast. According to reports by American media, 28 institutions from Los Angeles simultaneously shared the spot on their social media channels, creating a coordinated digital wave. Hudson further amplified the campaign through her own channels, expanding the reach to entertainment audiences who may not have followed the closing ceremony.
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games averaged 30.6 million daily viewers across NBC’s platforms, including broadcast and the Peacock streaming service. Milano Cortina 2026 also showed strong growth in viewership compared to previous editions. For brands planning to enter the Olympic media ecosystem in 2027 and 2028, the message is clear: premium positions will be reserved early.
Long before the Olympic flame is lit, LA28 is already functioning as a multi-year marketing project. And given that the Los Angeles Games will be the city’s third in history, after 1932 and 1984, the narrative of continuity and local identity has now been fully placed in the foreground.
With this campaign, NBC has sent a clear message to the market: the countdown has already begun.
