House Speaker Johnson slams White House’s silence on Olympics opening ceremony controversy: ‘An endorsement’ House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., slammed the White House Tuesday for failing to address the controversial Olympics opening ceremony skit that appeared to showcase drag queens reenacting the Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples. “The White House has had every opportunity to condemn the Olympics’ shameful mockery of the Last Supper, but they refuse to do it,” Johnson wrote in a post on X. “Their silence should be taken as an endorsement. The more than 200 million Christians in America should take note.” During Tuesday’s White House briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to answer questions about President Biden’s take on the performance. “I don’t have anything. I appreciate the question, I just don’t have anything to share,” Jean-Pierre said while shrugging and smiling. BIDEN, HARRIS CALLED OUT BY RELIGIOUS GROUP FOR STAYING SILENT ON ‘INSULTING’ OLYMPICS LAST SUPPER DRAG PARODY When reporters said Christians were offended by the opening act, Jean-Pierre giggled and continued to dodge answering what Biden’s stance was on the performance. “I just answered your question. I don’t have anything else to add,” Jean-Pierre said through chuckles. Biden, who has often spoken about his Catholic faith, has yet to comment on the event. First lady Jill Biden praised the opening ceremony as “spectacular” in remarks from Paris but did not specifically comment on the drag queen skit. When asked about the opening ceremony and backlash from the religious community, neither Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris’ offices responded to Fox News Digital. Other Christian U.S. leaders called the scene “insulting” and part of a “war on our faith.” JILLIAN MICHAELS BLASTS OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY FOR ‘HYPOCRISY’ FOLLOWING LAST SUPPER ‘MOCKERY’ Paris 2024 opening ceremony Drag queen Piche prepares to perform at the Debilly Bridge in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) Johnson spoke out right after the performance and called it an attack on Christian values. “Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games,” Johnson previously said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail.” OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY SPARKS OUTRAGE WITH DRAG QUEENS PARODYING LAST SUPPER: ‘GONE COMPLETELY WOKE’ Paris-Olympics-Opening-Ceremony-Subversive-Paris Delegations arrive at the Trocadero as spectators watch French singer Philippe Katerine performing on a giant screen in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also called out the performance, echoing Johnson’s comments. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The mockery of Christians during the Olympics opening ceremony is a symbol of cultural decline,” DeSantis wrote. Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report. #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024 #ParisOlympic2024 #Paris2024 https://lottolenghi.me/house-speaker-johnson-slams-white-houses-silence-on-olympics-opening-ceremony-controversy-an-endorsement/

Nike eyes marketing moment at the Olympics, as industry execs sound off on the brand’s challenges The Olympic Games is undeniably a major brand marketer moment. And lately, marketers have been eyeing everything from women’s sports to Formula One races as opportunities for growth, making sports marketing more competitive than ever. Still, brands are throwing money at the games, including the likes of Powerade, Reese’s, Old El Paso and, of course, Nike. The athletic retailer in particular has already shelled out nearly $143 million in advertising dollars from January through May this year, even before the Olympic Games start, according to data from MediaRadar. That figure is up 10% year over year from the $130 million spent during the same period in 2023. Nike, which didn’t respond to comment on this story, told Reuters that this year’s Olympics were its “biggest” spend yet. In 2021, Nike spent an estimated $39 million on advertising during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, per MediaRadar’s data. The Olympic moment comes at a time that is all too critical for a brand like Nike, which some industry experts say is pressured to improve its standing among consumers after seeing a dip in sales as of late. The 60-year-old retailer faces challenges on more than one front. Full-year revenue (the fiscal year ended May 31 for the company) was up just 1% to $51.4 billion compared to $51.2 billion in 2023, per the company’s earnings report. Meanwhile, fourth-quarter revenues were $12.6 billion, down 2% on a reported basis and flat on a currency-neutral basis, per the report. Nike’s digital sales have also been lagging, dipping 3% year over year from the third quarter of fiscal 2023 to the third quarter of fiscal 2024, marking the retailer’s first digital decline in nine years. Nike is said to have invested too much, too quickly in its direct-to-consumer business, which has become a scapegoat for its poor performance, as ModernRetail reported. In the face of financial headwinds, the company has gone through a series of layoffs to cut costs. This year, Nike seems to be aiming to make a big splash at the Olympics. Last week, Nike released its Olympic-themed spot “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” featuring big names like basketball forward LeBron James and U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, with a voiceover by actor Willem Dafoe. The spot drummed up excitement on X, where users acknowledged a possible return to Nike’s iconic storytelling roots. The retailer is also introducing a new footwear and apparel collection for breaking (formerly known as breakdancing) ahead of the Olympics, in addition to a slew of shoe prototypes developed with athletes, per Reuters. The sportswear giant is also hosting a sports-themed exhibition at Centre Pompidou, a Paris landmark, introducing programming and jerseys around its iconic Jordan Brand, as well as sponsoring hundreds of athletes who will compete in this year’s games, including big names like James and Richardson. While Nike’s Olympics ad has received praise on social media, its message isn’t exactly aligned with the brand’s current positioning, having seen more competition from the likes of other athletic brands like Hoka and On Running and considering recent sales numbers. Marketers said the impact of the spot hinges on the performance of the featured Olympic athletes. https://lottolenghi.me/nike-eyes-marketing-moment-at-the-olympics-as-industry-execs-sound-off-on-the-brands-challenges/ #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024

Nike eyes marketing moment at the Olympics, as industry execs sound off on the brand’s challenges The Olympic Games is undeniably a major brand marketer moment. And lately, marketers have been eyeing everything from women’s sports to Formula One races as opportunities for growth, making sports marketing more competitive than ever. Still, brands are throwing money at the games, including the likes of Powerade, Reese’s, Old El Paso and, of course, Nike. The athletic retailer in particular has already shelled out nearly $143 million in advertising dollars from January through May this year, even before the Olympic Games start, according to data from MediaRadar. That figure is up 10% year over year from the $130 million spent during the same period in 2023. Nike, which didn’t respond to comment on this story, told Reuters that this year’s Olympics were its “biggest” spend yet. In 2021, Nike spent an estimated $39 million on advertising during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, per MediaRadar’s data. The Olympic moment comes at a time that is all too critical for a brand like Nike, which some industry experts say is pressured to improve its standing among consumers after seeing a dip in sales as of late. The 60-year-old retailer faces challenges on more than one front. Full-year revenue (the fiscal year ended May 31 for the company) was up just 1% to $51.4 billion compared to $51.2 billion in 2023, per the company’s earnings report. Meanwhile, fourth-quarter revenues were $12.6 billion, down 2% on a reported basis and flat on a currency-neutral basis, per the report. Nike’s digital sales have also been lagging, dipping 3% year over year from the third quarter of fiscal 2023 to the third quarter of fiscal 2024, marking the retailer’s first digital decline in nine years. Nike is said to have invested too much, too quickly in its direct-to-consumer business, which has become a scapegoat for its poor performance, as ModernRetail reported. In the face of financial headwinds, the company has gone through a series of layoffs to cut costs. This year, Nike seems to be aiming to make a big splash at the Olympics. Last week, Nike released its Olympic-themed spot “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” featuring big names like basketball forward LeBron James and U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, with a voiceover by actor Willem Dafoe. The spot drummed up excitement on X, where users acknowledged a possible return to Nike’s iconic storytelling roots. The retailer is also introducing a new footwear and apparel collection for breaking (formerly known as breakdancing) ahead of the Olympics, in addition to a slew of shoe prototypes developed with athletes, per Reuters. The sportswear giant is also hosting a sports-themed exhibition at Centre Pompidou, a Paris landmark, introducing programming and jerseys around its iconic Jordan Brand, as well as sponsoring hundreds of athletes who will compete in this year’s games, including big names like James and Richardson. While Nike’s Olympics ad has received praise on social media, its message isn’t exactly aligned with the brand’s current positioning, having seen more competition from the likes of other athletic brands like Hoka and On Running and considering recent sales numbers. Marketers said the impact of the spot hinges on the performance of the featured Olympic athletes. https://lottolenghi.me/nike-eyes-marketing-moment-at-the-olympics-as-industry-execs-sound-off-on-the-brands-challenges/ #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024 #lesottolenghi

Olympics to Hold Its First Esports Games Starting in 2025, Amid Concerns The games industry may be surging, having recently generated more money than movies and North American sports combined, but enthusiasm for esports has ebbed and flowed. Now, though, competitive gaming will get a jolt of recognition: The International Olympic Committee has just formalized the Olympic Esports Games, with the first scheduled for 2025 in Saudi Arabia. Complicating the picture for the IOC: the themes of violence that run through many video games, and a political environment in Saudi Arabia that’s hostile to LGBTQ+ individuals. The IOC hasn’t decided on the exact location and dates or, most importantly, which video game titles the esports athletes will be competing in. In the past, professional esports competitions have mostly been title-specific tournaments, including huge international efforts like the League of Legends World Championship and the Dota International. The last couple of decades have seen esports leagues rise and fall, from the US-specific Major League Gaming (acquired by Activision Blizzard and now owned by Microsoft) to publisher-sponsored organizations like Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League. Large-scale professional gaming competitions have been pushed mostly by game publishers and esports leagues, but the IOC has been exploring esports since 2017, culminating in the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023 and a subsequent request to study the creation of a formal Olympic Esports Games. The IOC Esports Commission said in a release Tuesday that it has “devised a project which addresses the interest of the esports community while respecting the Olympic values. This is particularly true with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports.” Esports reviving the Olympics Appealing to younger fans has been a priority for the IOC, leading it to adopt new event categories in recent Olympics. In 2020, the traditional Games added surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing, while breaking (what had been known as breakdancing) is debuting at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The IOC has been looking into esports as traditional sports audiences age — a MarketWatch report in 2017 noted that the average NBA viewers were in their early 40s, while average NFL and MLB viewers were in their 50s. But even as the IOC Esports Commission formed to explore how it might integrate competitive gaming into the Olympics, questions arose about whether that marriage would work. Many of the top esports titles are violent first-person shooters, which goes against Olympic values of peaceful competition — the IOC flatly stated a year ago that games from the Counter-Strike and Call of Duty series would never be included in Olympic Esports, according to The Jakarta Post. While the IOC formalizing the Olympic Esports Games seems to put the debate to bed about whether virtual competition is a sport, siloing esports into their own event, away from the traditional Olympics, does send a complicated message. The most pertinent question is whether gamers will flock to esports if they’re hosted by the Olympics, or if they’ll just continue watching tournaments and leagues that have been built up by the games industry and esports enthusiasts. “Years ago I said, ‘The Olympics needs esports more than esports needs the Olympics,’ and I still stand by that statement,” said Rod Breslau, an esports and gaming consultant. #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024 #2024summerolympics #parisolympicsschedule https://lottolenghi.me/olympics-to-hold-its-first-esports-games-starting-in-2025-amid-concerns/

‘I’m good to go’: Steph Catley fit for Matildas’ Olympics opener against Germany | Paris Olympic Games 2024 Coach Tony Gustavsson expects to have captain Steph Catley and a full-strength squad available when the Matildas face Germany in the opening match of their Olympic campaign on Thursday. The Matildas have been beset by injury woes in the lead-up to the Paris Games, with Catley nursing a calf niggle, Katrina Gorry returning from an ankle injury, and other worries for attacking threat Caitlin Foord and defender Kaitlyn Torpey. But Gustavsson insisted his team was fit and ready to go following an extended pre-Olympics training camp, as all 22 players – 18 squad members and four reserves – trained on Wednesday in Marseille. “Everyone trained today, which is good,” Gustavsson said. “It’s been a challenging preparation period, to be honest. If you look at the game minutes that these players have had over the last six months, with everything from stress fractures to foot surgeries to soft tissue injuries and all that. And then a break, and then coming in [to camp]. So we’ve had to do a lot of hard work and individual planning. “It’s been a little bit of a challenge to get everyone up to speed, but to then see 100% of the players available for training today was amazing,” Gustavsson added. While the coach said that final decisions on availability would be made following a last medical meeting, he indicated that Arsenal star Catley was expected to start against Germany. “If Steph is available, our captain, that’s a no-brainer,” he said. “I’m fit,” added Catley, set to compete in her third Olympics. “I’m good to go.” The Matildas enter the Games with high expectations after finishing fourth at both the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and home World Cup in 2023. But on each occasion the Australians fell in the third-place encounter; the team has never won a medal at a major international tournament. “It would be incredible,” Catley said about the prospect of finishing on the podium in Paris. “This team has gone through a lot, been together for many, many years, we’ve come close to having some pretty amazing results. It’s definitely something that we want to achieve. “But so does every single team in this tournament,” continued the 30-year-old. “Every single team in this tournament is incredible – the Olympics is really, really tough. Not to be clichéd but it really is one game at a time for us. We dream big always – every tournament we go into, we go into to win, to achieve the absolute most we can. But it’s risky to start to think like that, we just need to focus on Germany and how we can beat them.” After the encounter with Germany, the Matildas will face Zambia in Nice on Sunday, before concluding the group with a blockbuster clash against long-time rivals the United States in Marseille next week. The Australians need to finish in the top two of group B, or be among the best-ranked third placed teams, to qualify for the quarter-finals. On the eve of their opening match, and with the Paris 2024 opening ceremony only 48 hours away, Catley spoke of her pride at wearing the green and gold on the Olympic stage. Sign up to Olympic and Paralympic briefing Our daily email briefing will help you keep up with all the goings on at the Olympics and Paralympics Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion “We know what the Olympics mean to everyone,” said the defender. “We take a lot of pride from the stories we share – meeting Cathy Freeman )ahead of the last World Cup], the connections we have with her, and how many of us grew up watching the Olympics and being so proud to be Australian in those massive moments. “We want to recreate those kinds of moments for young girls watching the TV, up in the middle of the night watching us,” Catley added. “We want to make them proud – we want to give them that Olympic memory we had growing up.” Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, meanwhile, had a simple message for Australian fans ahead of the Germany clash: “Set your alarms.” The Matildas’ Olympic opener will take place on Thursday evening local time (3am AEST). “It’s going to be an early one – set your alarms, get around it,” said Arnold. “It means a lot to us.” #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024 #2024summerolympics #parisolympicsschedule https://lottolenghi.me/im-good-to-go-steph-catley-fit-for-matildas-olympics-opener-against-germany-paris-olympic-games-2024/

Nike eyes marketing moment at the Olympics, as industry execs sound off on the brand’s challenges The Olympic Games is undeniably a major brand marketer moment. And lately, marketers have been eyeing everything from women’s sports to Formula One races as opportunities for growth, making sports marketing more competitive than ever. Still, brands are throwing money at the games, including the likes of Powerade, Reese’s, Old El Paso and, of course, Nike. The athletic retailer in particular has already shelled out nearly $143 million in advertising dollars from January through May this year, even before the Olympic Games start, according to data from MediaRadar. That figure is up 10% year over year from the $130 million spent during the same period in 2023. Nike, which didn’t respond to comment on this story, told Reuters that this year’s Olympics were its “biggest” spend yet. In 2021, Nike spent an estimated $39 million on advertising during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, per MediaRadar’s data. The Olympic moment comes at a time that is all too critical for a brand like Nike, which some industry experts say is pressured to improve its standing among consumers after seeing a dip in sales as of late. The 60-year-old retailer faces challenges on more than one front. Full-year revenue (the fiscal year ended May 31 for the company) was up just 1% to $51.4 billion compared to $51.2 billion in 2023, per the company’s earnings report. Meanwhile, fourth-quarter revenues were $12.6 billion, down 2% on a reported basis and flat on a currency-neutral basis, per the report. Nike’s digital sales have also been lagging, dipping 3% year over year from the third quarter of fiscal 2023 to the third quarter of fiscal 2024, marking the retailer’s first digital decline in nine years. Nike is said to have invested too much, too quickly in its direct-to-consumer business, which has become a scapegoat for its poor performance, as ModernRetail reported. In the face of financial headwinds, the company has gone through a series of layoffs to cut costs. https://lottolenghi.me/nike-eyes-marketing-moment-at-the-olympics-as-industry-execs-sound-off-on-the-brands-challenges/ #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024

Nike eyes marketing moment at the Olympics, as industry execs sound off on the brand’s challenges The Olympic Games is undeniably a major brand marketer moment. And lately, marketers have been eyeing everything from women’s sports to Formula One races as opportunities for growth, making sports marketing more competitive than ever. Still, brands are throwing money at the games, including the likes of Powerade, Reese’s, Old El Paso and, of course, Nike. The athletic retailer in particular has already shelled out nearly $143 million in advertising dollars from January through May this year, even before the Olympic Games start, according to data from MediaRadar. That figure is up 10% year over year from the $130 million spent during the same period in 2023. Nike, which didn’t respond to comment on this story, told Reuters that this year’s Olympics were its “biggest” spend yet. In 2021, Nike spent an estimated $39 million on advertising during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, per MediaRadar’s data. The Olympic moment comes at a time that is all too critical for a brand like Nike, which some industry experts say is pressured to improve its standing among consumers after seeing a dip in sales as of late. The 60-year-old retailer faces challenges on more than one front. Full-year revenue (the fiscal year ended May 31 for the company) was up just 1% to $51.4 billion compared to $51.2 billion in 2023, per the company’s earnings report. Meanwhile, fourth-quarter revenues were $12.6 billion, down 2% on a reported basis and flat on a currency-neutral basis, per the report. Nike’s digital sales have also been lagging, dipping 3% year over year from the third quarter of fiscal 2023 to the third quarter of fiscal 2024, marking the retailer’s first digital decline in nine years. Nike is said to have invested too much, too quickly in its direct-to-consumer business, which has become a scapegoat for its poor performance, as ModernRetail reported. In the face of financial headwinds, the company has gone through a series of layoffs to cut costs. https://lottolenghi.me/nike-eyes-marketing-moment-at-the-olympics-as-industry-execs-sound-off-on-the-brands-challenges/ #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024 #lesottolenghi

Nike eyes marketing moment at the Olympics, as industry execs sound off on the brand’s challenges The Olympic Games is undeniably a major brand marketer moment. And lately, marketers have been eyeing everything from women’s sports to Formula One races as opportunities for growth, making sports marketing more competitive than ever. Still, brands are throwing money at the games, including the likes of Powerade, Reese’s, Old El Paso and, of course, Nike. The athletic retailer in particular has already shelled out nearly $143 million in advertising dollars from January through May this year, even before the Olympic Games start, according to data from MediaRadar. That figure is up 10% year over year from the $130 million spent during the same period in 2023. Nike, which didn’t respond to comment on this story, told Reuters that this year’s Olympics were its “biggest” spend yet. In 2021, Nike spent an estimated $39 million on advertising during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, per MediaRadar’s data. The Olympic moment comes at a time that is all too critical for a brand like Nike, which some industry experts say is pressured to improve its standing among consumers after seeing a dip in sales as of late. The 60-year-old retailer faces challenges on more than one front. Full-year revenue (the fiscal year ended May 31 for the company) was up just 1% to $51.4 billion compared to $51.2 billion in 2023, per the company’s earnings report. Meanwhile, fourth-quarter revenues were $12.6 billion, down 2% on a reported basis and flat on a currency-neutral basis, per the report. Nike’s digital sales have also been lagging, dipping 3% year over year from the third quarter of fiscal 2023 to the third quarter of fiscal 2024, marking the retailer’s first digital decline in nine years. Nike is said to have invested too much, too quickly in its direct-to-consumer business, which has become a scapegoat for its poor performance, as ModernRetail reported. In the face of financial headwinds, the company has gone through a series of layoffs to cut costs. https://lottolenghi.me/nike-eyes-marketing-moment-at-the-olympics-as-industry-execs-sound-off-on-the-brands-challenges/ #lesottolenghi #Olympics #OlympicGames #Olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 #olympicsparis2024 #lesottolenghi