Look for Sonic the Hedgehog, the bright blue video game character that’s starred in three movies, to start showing up on Olympic merchandise.
The International Olympic Committee just announced a new multi-year licensing deal with Tokyo-based Sega Corporation to use the character alongside the familiar five Olympic rings to highlight “shared values such as friendship, excellence and respect.”
A Sonic fan wiki describes the character as an “anthropomorphic hedgehog known for his ability to run faster than the speed of sound, hence his name. As his species implies, Sonic can roll up into a concussive ball, primarily to attack enemies.”
Sure enough, a trio of images shared by the IOC portray the spiny Sonic in motion, snowboarding, running and racing other characters on a track, accompanied by messages such as “Olympic Dream” and “Going for Gold.”
Just how that’s going to translate into merchandise is yet to be determined. The images were called a first look at an upcoming “Five Rings” collaboration, with a full range of licensed merchandise planned for release next year, likely in time for the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.
Details of the deal were not disclosed but Elisabeth Allaman, deputy managing director of IOC television and marketing services, said the partnership is intended to embrace “the power of storytelling and innovation” to engage a global audience.
“By combining the universally recognized Olympic rings with the beloved character of Sonic, fans of all ages can experience the spirit of sport and play in new and memorable ways,” Allaman said in a statement.
It’s not the first time the IOC has turned to cartoon-like characters to draw in audiences. A similar licensing deal with Warner Brothers Discovery Global Consumer Products to use Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters on merchandise was signed last year.
And Sonic teamed up with Super Mario in a video game and headlined a “Sonic at the Olympic Games” app that were both created for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo that ended up being delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Games organizers create their own merchandising programs, featuring the mascots they’ve selected. At the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the mascots were playful versions of Utah animals, Powder the snowshoe hare, Coal the black bear, and Copper the coyote.
Mascots are years away from being chosen for Utah’s 2034 Winter Games, but organizers are counting on raising nearly $190 million from licensing products such as plush toys and T-shirts in their $4 billion privately funded budget.