SEGA and the International Olympic Committee have announced a multi-year licensing deal between the Olympics and Sonic the Hedgehog. Key art for the collaboration has been released.
While SEGA and IOC have not yet confirmed what it will make as a result of the collaboration, the former has stated that “Through the forging of the agreement with the International Olympic Committee, SEGA and the IOC will explore opportunities to license the designs for select merchandise collaborations, inviting like-minded brands to join in this unique fusion of sports and video games.” Shuji Utsumi, President and COO, Representative Director of SEGA CORPORATION said the following about the collaboration:
“We’re committed to fostering respectful and inclusive communities across the globe at SEGA. Partnering with the International Olympic Committee allows us to bring those values to the forefront, especially with the Five Rings program, and celebrate the innovative and diverse spirit both of these brands promote.”
Check out the announcement post below:
The last time SEGA and the Olympics collaborated was on the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games franchise. Last year, the series franchise came to an end for the foreseeable future. The reason is due to the Olympics wanting to explore NFTs and eSports instead.The Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games franchise initially began in 2007 to coincide with Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The series would release new entries every two years to coincide with both the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics. They’ve released over the years on the Wii, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS. The most recent entry released in 2020, commemorating the Tokyo Olympics that same year.
SEGA and the IOC will reveal more about the licensing agreement between Sonic the Hedgehog and the Olympics at a later date.
