The surprising stunt performed by Tom Cruise in the otherwise boring closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, reminiscent of his Mission: Impossible movies, was meant to highlight the passing of the torch to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games, which are taking place July 14-30, 2028. But more than a “mission impossible,” the Games are expected to be a “mission possible.” To start with, the expenditures, so far at $7 billion, are less than those of the Paris Games, which reached closer to $10 billion.
Then, there will be two new sports (flag football and squash), plus the return of baseball, cricket, and lacrosse. The Olympic Village will be located at the UCLA campus in the Westwood section of L.A., while the Media Village will be housed at the USC campus in downtown L.A. Venues will be scattered throughout the metro area with extra venues in nearby Long Beach (artistic swimming), Temecula, 138 kilometers south of L.A. (equestrian), and Oklahoma City, in the state of Oklahoma, a three-hour flight from L.A. (baseball and canoe).
But it would be even more surprising and unusual if some games (especially those with fewer spectators) were held on various studios lots. Their large stages could easily accommodate 2,000 people each, and the studios are equipped with experts who are old hands at moving large crowds along. Attending games on the studio lots would be a plus for any sports fan, a fantastic setting for the TV coverage, and would make L.A. 2028 an even more unforgettable event: a truly Hollywood extravaganza.
In the U.S., the L.A. Summer Games will be covered by NBCUniversal (the same Paris 2024 broadcaster). Universal Studios will be the site of the International Broadcast Center. Warner Bros. Discovery will be covering 49 European countries, plus the EBU members will carry 200 hours of coverage. In Japan the coverage will be handled by a consortium headed by the NHK.
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