Fact Check: Samsung Withdrew $1B Sponsorship from Paris Olympics Due to 'Woke Agenda'?

Claim:

Samsung withdrew a $1 billion sponsorship from the Paris Olympics, citing opposition to a "woke agenda."

Rating:

Originated as Satire ( About this rating? )

A rumor that Samsung dropped out of a $1 billion advertising deal with the 2024 Paris Olympics due to a "woke agenda" circulated widely online. For example, TikTok user @friends4_.life posted the claim on July 30, 2024, writing, "Breaking: Samsung Withdraws $1 Billion Sponsorship from Paris Olympics, 'Woke Agenda.'"

While it's true Samsung is a long-time , official sponsor of the Olympics, the rumor claiming the company withdrew from a $1 billion sponsorship deal with the Paris Olympics originated with SpaceXMania — a network of online pages describing its output as being humorous or satirical in nature.

Paris Olympics' Opening Ceremony Controversy

The basis for the satirical rumor played on some viewers' confusion over the interpretation of the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

As we previously reported , part of the opening ceremony featured drag artists, dancers and others in a scene reminding some people of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper." However, French theatre director Thomas Jolly – who choreographed and directed the opening ceremony – said the scene referenced the pagan traditions of Ancient Greece. He also said reminding viewers of "The Last Supper" wasn't his intention .

Further, a bearded man painted in the color blue featured in the scene referenced Dionysus, the Greek God of wine and festivity – not Jesus Christ, as some viewers assumed.

TikTok Users Believed the Samsung-Olympics Rumor

Despite the "satire" label at the top of the screenshot displayed in the TikTok post, some users still seemed to interpret the story as real.

For example, one user whose comment displayed over 300 likes said, "Every TV in my home is Samsung. Thank you for that."

Another user whose comment also showed hundreds of likes remarked, "Thank you Samsung," and included three thumbs-up emojis.

Other comments also receiving numerous likes read, "Awesome!!!!!" and "Uhmmm I might be looking into a Samsung phone!! All of our TVs are!" The @friends4_.life user who created the post also commented, "Best thing I've seen in a long time."

Origins of the Rumor

As of this writing, a post promoting the claim on the SpaceXMania network's SpaceX Fanclub Facebook page displayed over 110,000 likes, 13,600 comments and 17,000 shares. The image included with the post displayed the words "Rated Satire" in the upper-left corner. (According to the edit history of the post, a page manager added the word "satire" to the end of the text caption on July 30.)

The pinned comment in the Facebook post displayed a link leading to an article on the network's website, esspots.com. The network also published a similar article – the same story appearing as a screenshot in the TikTok post – on SpaceXMania.com. That article began as follows:

In a dramatic shift in corporate sponsorship dynamics, Samsung Electronics has announced its decision to withdraw from a $1 billion advertising campaign with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This move has stirred significant controversy, as Samsung cited the Olympics' "woke agenda" as the primary reason for its withdrawal.

SpaceXMania's Satire Disclaimer

The "About Us" page on SpaceXMania.com states, in part:

Welcome to our website, owned and operated by Funky Productions LLC . We are a team of writers and editors based in New York, USA. Our mission? To bring you the freshest fake news, some sassy analysis, and a good dose of satire, all rolled into one crazy concoction that orbits around Elon Musk and everything that's lighting up the viral/trending charts.

Now, let's talk about our digital lair – it's not just a website; it's a happening spot on social media where we hang out, shoot the breeze with you, spill the tea on breaking news, and flaunt our latest satirical masterpieces. Quick heads up, though – every single article on our site is about as real as a unicorn sipping on a rainbow smoothie. They're pure fantasy, folks, not a snapshot of reality.

We take pride in being the cool cats who offer you a front-row seat to our Satire/Fantasy News extravaganza. Our satirical pieces? They're like a breath of fresh air, a break from the ordinary, giving you a giggle or two about the stuff our Tater friends would totally vibe with.

Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims mentioning the word "woke" in the past, including the assertion that comedian Jay Leno signed a multi-million dollar deal with CBS for a "non-woke" late night show and a rumor that actors Roseanne Barr and Tim Allen joined forces to form a new "non-woke" actors guild.

For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.

Sources:

Izzo, Jack. "Olympic Opening Ceremony Featured Da Vinci's 'Last Supper'?" Snopes , 30 July 2024, https://www.snopes.com//news/2024/07/30/olympics-last-supper/ .

Leicester, John. "Paris' Olympics Opening Was Wacky and Wonderful — and Upset Bishops. Here's Why." The Associated Press , 27 July 2024, https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-opening-ceremony-audacious-analysis-49f9885ff2b95b9b7ccc51ca195e84e1 .

"Samsung." Olympic Partner Programme , https://olympics.com/ioc/partners/samsung .