Sonic The Hedgehog returns to the Olympics as Sega signs multi-year deal with the IOC

Sega and the International Olympic Committee have announced a multi-year licensing agreement, effective October 7, 2025, to introduce Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise featuring the Olympic rings. Furthermore, Sega has reacquired the rights to the “Olympic Games” license, and the complete lineup of Sega-themed Olympic merchandise will arrive in 2026.

Elisabeth Allaman, Deputy Managing Director of IOC Television and Marketing Services, said: 

The IOC is delighted to unite with Sega for this exciting chapter, embracing the power of storytelling and innovation to engage audiences globally. By combining the universally recognised Olympic rings with the beloved character of Sonic, fans of all ages can experience the spirit of sport and play in new, memorable ways.

Shuji Utsumi, President, COO, and Representative Director of Sega Corporation, said:

This collaboration highlights the International Olympic Committee’s commitment to showcasing excellence, unity, and perseverance on the global stage, values that Sonic embodies through speed, determination, and resilience. It brings together uniquely crafted designs that combine the iconic Olympic rings and Sonic. We are thrilled to share this exciting initiative with fans worldwide.

This licensing accord builds on prior IOC collaborations with Sega, notably Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series, which debuted in 2007 on the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, followed by Mario and Sonic at the Winter Games (2009) for the Wii and Nintendo DS. Future titles featuring London, Sochi, and Rio arrived on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The last installment came in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch, along with free-to-play spin-offs on iOS and Android, and arcade cabinets in 2020.

Last year, a former Mario and Sonic developer revealed that there would be no Mario and Sonic games for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Olympic Video Game license was held by nWay Games at the time, which released “Olympics GO! Paris 2024,” a free-to-play title featuring microtransactions and NFTs.

Now that Sega owns the rights to the Olympic Games, we can expect to see Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics in 2026 in Italy, followed by a possible follow-up Summer Olympics title in Los Angeles. But we’ll have to wait for official word from Sega.

Recently, Sega collaborated with Puma to release a three-colorway Capsule Collection featuring Sonic, Tails, and Shadow.