Four Companies, One Relay
When LA28 announced on September 29, 2026 that the 2028 relay starts in Atlanta, it also named four presenting partners: Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity. Presenting partner is the top sponsorship tier for the relay, and LA28 said more relay partners will be announced.
The release also said what the four will do. They "will take part in various aspects of the Torch Relay, including the designation of select torchbearers and stops at partner locations along the Relay route."
So each of these companies will choose some of the people who carry the flame. If you want to be a torchbearer in 2028, these four are worth knowing.
At a Glance
| Partner | Partnership | Olympic history | Relay history |
|---|
| Coca-Cola | IOC Worldwide Olympic Partner | Nearly 100 years | Presenting partner since Barcelona 1992 |
| JPMorganChase | April 2026 | Official Bank of Team USA and LA28; first global banking partner in Olympic history | First relay |
| Allstate | August 2026 | Team USA's official home and auto insurance partner | First relay |
| Xfinity (Comcast) | Founding Partner, announced 2021 | Team USA sponsor since 2017; NBCUniversal holds US Olympic rights through 2036 | First relay as presenting partner |
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is the one partner with a long record of picking torchbearers. It first presented a relay at Barcelona 1992, where it chose 150 international torchbearers from more than 50 countries. In 1996 it was the sole presenter of the Atlanta relay and chose about 2,500 of its 10,000 torchbearers through a program called "Share the Spirit." For Salt Lake 2002 it received more than 125,000 essay nominations and placed more than 3,500 of about 11,500 torchbearers.
It was a presenting partner again at Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026. For Paris, its torchbearer campaign drew 15,000 applications and closed on October 15, 2023, about seven months before the flame reached France.
Coca-Cola is also based in Atlanta, which is part of why the relay starts there. CEO Henrique Braun called it "meaningful to welcome the flame to Atlanta, the hometown of Coca-Cola for nearly 140 years." (The longer story: Coca-Cola and the Olympic torch relay, 1992 to 2028.)
JPMorganChase
JPMorganChase joined in April 2026 as the Official Bank of Team USA and LA28, an LA28 Founding Partner in retail banking, and a Worldwide Olympic Partner. LA28 and the IOC describe it as the first global banking partner in Olympic history.
Its case for the relay is its footprint. The release points to "an extensive branch network that supports millions of consumers and small businesses," and says the firm is "embedded in the communities where the Torch Relay will stop." Chase branches are a likely candidate for the "stops at partner locations" the release mentions, though LA28 hasn't said so.
"Supporting the Torch Relay reflects our commitment to the customers, clients and communities we serve every day," said Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Chase Consumer Banking.
Allstate
Allstate became an LA28 Founding Partner and Team USA's official home and auto insurance partner in August 2026, less than two months before the relay announcement. Its longer sports history is in college athletics: it has sponsored student-athlete programs for more than 20 years, including the Good Hands Field Goal Nets since 2005.
"This historic journey will shine a light on the determination and hope that define the Games, while connecting communities across the country," said Elizabeth Brady, Allstate's EVP and chief marketing, customer and communications officer. "We're honored to bring the flame to America's hometowns."
Allstate has thousands of local agency offices across the country, which fits a relay built around hometowns. How it will pick torchbearers hasn't been announced.
Xfinity and Comcast
Comcast has sponsored Team USA since 2017 and was announced as an LA28 Founding Partner in 2021. Its NBCUniversal division holds the US media rights to the Olympics through 2036. For the relay, Comcast put its Xfinity broadband and mobile brand on it.
"The Torch Relay is where the road to LA28 really begins," said Matt Lederer, Comcast's vice president of brand partnerships and engagement. "Through Xfinity, we'll use the power of our broadband and mobile technology to connect fans to every moment."
How Partner Torchbearer Programs Have Worked
Paris 2024 is the closest recent model. Its 11,000 torchbearers came from more than 100,000 applications, spread across several channels that each ran their own campaign:
| Channel | Applications |
|---|
| Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne (relay partners) | 55,000 |
| Club Paris 2024 (the organizers' fan club) | 30,000 |
| Coca-Cola (relay partner) | 15,000 |
Paris told about 80 percent of its torchbearers by January 15, 2024, roughly four months before the relay began.
The pattern: each partner opens its own form, usually for its customers, employees or a public contest, and the organizing committee runs its own open channel alongside them.
If LA28 follows Paris's timing, partner campaigns for a spring 2028 relay would open and close during 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the sponsors of the 2028 Olympic torch relay?
The presenting partners are Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity. LA28 says more relay partners will be announced.
Can the torch relay sponsors choose torchbearers?
Yes. LA28 says the presenting partners will take part in "the designation of select torchbearers."
Is the Coca-Cola torchbearer program open for 2028?
Not yet. No partner has opened a 2028 torchbearer program. For Paris 2024, Coca-Cola's campaign closed about seven months before the relay began.
Will the relay stop at Chase or Allstate locations?
LA28 says the relay will include "stops at partner locations along the Relay route." It hasn't named any.
Where I Come In
I'm a runner and founder in Santa Monica trying to carry the flame for one mile of this relay. When LA28 or any of these four opens a nomination form, I'll need people willing to nominate me. If you'd be one of them, add your name here and I'll send you the link the day it opens.
