LOS ANGELES —John Slusher shouldn't admit this. When the former Nike executive signed on to oversee LA28's commercial operations last year, he looked at the private organizing committee's lofty financial goals with some concern. Sales were "incredibly slow." There was momentum around the first Olympics in L.A. in more than 40 years, but not many results.

Yet.

Weeks after celebrating his one-year anniversary with the group responsible for organizing and delivering the 2028 Games, Slusher and his team delivered a $2-billion present.

After announcing 15 partnerships in 2025, LA28 met its goal of reaching $2 billion in corporate sponsorship by this year, which Slusher said puts the group well on track to meet or exceed its $2.52-billion goal for domestic partnerships that serves as the largest line item funding the 2028 Games.

"Each avenue of commercial, whether it's sponsorship, licensing, ticketing, hospitality, they're all just kind of smoking hot, if you will, right now," Slusher said in a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times. "I think there's a lot of momentum and a lot of excitement around driving the business. And I think we're all super focused on delivering an amazing, financially responsible Games."

Since its bid for the Games began in 2016, LA28 has promised to deliver and operate the event with private funds. The estimated budget is $7.15 billion for L.A.'s first Olympics since 1984. After last year's Paris Olympics, focus has shifted to the United States as the country begins a major decade of major sports events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and the 2034 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City.

"There is still much work to do and I can assure you the team is not resting," U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said during a media conference call. "But the reality is that this success puts the LA28 Games on track to be very successful while building significant commercial value for Team USA for many years to come. We couldn't be more pleased with where we sit."

Slusher, the chief executive officer responsible for revenue for LA28 and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties, said the group is still selling for major sponsorship categories, including quick service restaurant, retail, tech and finance. Ticket registration begins on Jan. 14 with 14 million tickets available for the Olympics and Paralympics, which would break the record for Games tickets sold. Volunteering opportunities connected to LA28 in the community have already begun and volunteer applications for the Games open in the summer of 2026.

From record commercial growth to launching volunteer and community ticketing programs earlier than ever, our north star continues to be delivering a fiscally responsible Games with meaningful impact for L.A. and beyond," LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement. "We're working day in and day out to make the Games more accessible than ever to the millions of people who want to get involved in a meaningful way."

LA28 announced a ticket donation program with hopes of making tickets accessible to local fans through community groups. The Rams were the first participants, donating $5 million. Tickets will begin at $28 and LA28 plans to have one-third of tickets under $100.

Ticketing and hospitality is supposed to cover $2.5 billion of LA28's total budget, the second-largest source of revenue for the Games.

A study done by the Southern California Association of Governments estimated the Games will generate between $13.6 billion and $17.6 billion in additional gross domestic product across a six-county region between 2024-2029. The study considered LA28's $7.15-billion budget, estimated visitor spending and a portion of Games-related transportation infrastructure investments.

While all but four of the Olympic venues are outside of L.A. County, the study estimates that five other Southern California counties — Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial — could still enjoy roughly 33% of the economic benefit because of visitor spending and work provided elsewhere in the region. Orange County, which will host the volleyball competition at Honda Center and surfing at nearby Trestles, could draw between $2.88 billion and $2.44 billion in gross domestic product from the Games, the second-most behind L.A.'s range of $8.96 billion and $11.97 billion.

The study was limited to only short-term gains up to five years after the Games, which does not take into account any "legacy effects." The 2028 Games will have no permanent venue construction, but the planning agency notes that transportation infrastructure built to support the Games could benefit the region for decades in the future.

Transportation updates are largely the responsibility of the city, which is relying on federal grants to expand the Metro rail system and add more buses for the Games. Improvements to Los Angeles International Airport have been plodding: The People Mover train's opening date has been delayed again to June 2026.

Outside of money used for infrastructure improvements, L.A. is also at risk to foot the first $270 million in potential overruns from LA28. If the private organizing committee's debt goes further, the next $270 million would go to the state and anything remaining would return back to the city.

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