Advertising featuring athletes during the Olympic Games

The following information provides an overview of Rule 40 and its application by the DOSB in Germany. It uses specific examples to illustrate how non-Olympic sponsors may advertise with participating athletes during the Olympic Games and which restrictions apply.

Rule 40 applies to any use of the names or images of participating individuals and to all types of advertising activities. This includes print, TV, and digital media, as well as social media, apps, press releases, advertisements, mailings, and in-store advertising.

During the so-called frozen period from January 30 to February 24, 2026, sponsors may advertise with participating athletes if the following criteria are met:

• No prohibited symbols or terms are used.
• No prohibited images or videos are used.
• No prohibited connection is made between a product or service promoted for the sponsor and the athlete’s participation or performance at the Olympic Games.
• No reference is made to Team Germany as a whole.

Athletes’ Olympic achievements may be listed factually, for example as part of a résumé. The Olympic achievement must not be highlighted. Highlighting an Olympic achievement is considered the use of a protected term and is therefore not permitted. 

Terms such as“Italy,” “Milan,” “Cortina,” or “Winter 2026” may be used, as the Rule 40 document states that these are not protected terms. However, wording that uses a prohibited term to establish a connection to the Olympic Games is not permitted. 

Terms such as “Olympia,” “Olympic,” or “Olympic team” must not be used for advertising purposes in connection with partners.

It must also not create the impression that a sponsor is an official partner of Team Germany if this is not the case. Advertising must not refer to Team Germany as a whole.

Athletes may be shown in neutral clothing in advertising communications. Clothing featuring protected Olympic symbols must not be used.

A connection between an athlete’s competition performance and a sponsor’s products or services is not permitted.

In particular, promoted products or services must not be linked to Olympic competition performance. The use of protected terms for commercial purposes is also not permitted.

Greetings and congratulatory messages are possible if the eligibility criteria are met in both the image and the text. In particular, prohibited Olympic terms or symbols must not be used.

The applicable eligibility criteria must also be observed when sharing or reposting content.

Members of Team Germany may retweet, share, or repost content from the IOC, OCOG, DOSB, or Team Germany.

If shared content includes a greeting or message of thanks to a sponsor, that message must meet the eligibility criteria on its own.

Olympic medals must not be shown in connection with advertising or an advertising activation.

This must be distinguished from non-commercial communication by athletes about their own Olympic victory or participation, for example in their own social media post. The document explicitly identifies this type of non-commercial communication as permissible.

Content that appears editorial may still be considered advertising if a company’s commercial interest is apparent or if products, brands, or sponsor names are the primary focus.

Editorial communication is journalistic, informative, and neutral. Advertising communication is targeted, product-related, or sales-promoting. This can also include corporate image advertising as a form of indirect sales promotion.

Social media posts or articles on a company website featuring Team Germany imagery may, in individual cases, be considered commercial communication when used in connection with a company and may therefore be subject to the corresponding restrictions.

Fore more information, see the Rule40 guidelines.