1984Primary sourceWell documented
Los Angeles 1984 and the Commercial Games
On the timeline · around 1984 · The Global Games
What happened
The Soviet Union and its allies boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in retaliation for the 1980 boycott. Privately financed and run by organizer Peter Ueberroth, the LA Games turned a large profit through corporate sponsorship and television rights, reversing years of Olympic red ink.
Why it matters
Los Angeles 1984 proved the Olympics could be hugely profitable, ushering in the modern era of corporate sponsorship, television megadeals, and professional athletes — transforming the Games into a commercial colossus.
Sources
Related timelines
- The Cold War → — The retaliatory Soviet-bloc boycott