Samsung and IOC Team Up to Announce GALAXY Note 3 as Olympic Games Phone for Sochi 2014 as Part of “Samsung Smart Olympic Games” Initiative

Samsung Electronics, the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, today introduced a collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the “Samsung Smart Olympic Games” initiative to make the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games the most wireless, seamless and paperless Olympic Games ever.

Samsung and the IOC aim to make Sochi 2014 a seamless part of today’s wireless, paperless digital lifestyle. The “Samsung Smart Olympic Games” initiative will create a digital doorway into the Olympic spirit for the athletes, officials, and staff in Sochi, and for fans worldwide, through Samsung’s latest smartphones and technologies, its custom Wireless Olympic Works (WOW) mobile application and interactive demos featuring Olympic Winter sports.

In order to help bring that vision to life, the new Samsung GALAXY Note 3 has been named the official Olympic Games phone for Sochi 2014. GALAXY Note 3 is Samsung’s latest update to the Note product line, which delivers a larger and better screen for the best viewing experience and more powerful multitasking, and introduces significant S Pen improvements that make everyday life easier and faster.

The IOC will provide Samsung GALAXY Note 3, the official Olympic phone, to all Sochi 2014 athletes to enjoy, capture and share their Olympic Games experience in a smarter way through innovative technology. This marks the first time all athletes will receive a Samsung device in the company’s 15-year history as Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games.

For smarter communications and smoother, wireless operations of the Games, Samsung has enhanced its WOW app used by the Olympic staff. WOW will provide essential, up-to-date Games Time data and connectivity that are crucial to the Olympic Games operation. As the Wireless Communications Equipment category sponsor, Samsung specifically created the WOW application for the Olympic Family, including executives, staff and officials from the IOC, National Olympic Committees and organizing committees, starting with the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

For consumers worldwide, the Public WOW app will turn Android devices into mobile sports stations with instant access to Sochi 2014. This is only the second time the Public WOW app has been available worldwide, following the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Public WOW provides global sports fans with free, real-time access to news from the Games, including updated event schedules, the latest official results, medal counts and record statistics.

“Samsung believes the Olympic spirit can move people to greatness. The ‘Samsung Smart Olympic Games’ initiative will unite and inspire people by bringing them closer to the Games through a meaningful and direct connection to inspirational athletes, innovative technology and exciting, interactive experiences,” said YoungHee Lee, Executive Vice President, Mobile Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Our people-inspired technologies give everyone the chance to experience the excitement of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the beautiful location and venues of Sochi, and the billions of people of every culture who love the Games – no matter where they are in the world.”

“In working with Samsung, we see a tremendous opportunity to make the Olympic Games a meaningful part of the global digital landscape and lifestyle today, and in exciting new ways in the future,” said Timo Lumme, Managing Director, IOC TMS. “Not only will the program create efficiencies in the day-to-day operation of the Games, but it will also encourage more people to make personal connections to the Olympic Spirit.”

To further bring the Olympic spirit to life for more people, Samsung announced it has formed its largest-ever GALAXY Team of inspirational Olympic hopefuls for Sochi 2014. The team will include more than 80 athletes from 20 countries, including:

–       Armin Zoeggeler: Italian luge competitor who could become the first Winter Olympian to win six medals in a single event

–       Gregor Schlierenzauer: Austrian ski jumper and defending Olympic champion from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

–       Evan Strong: U.S. Paralympic snowboarder who is ranked No. 1 in the world and listed among the International Paralympic Committee’s “Ones to Watch” at Sochi 2014

“I’m proud to be teammates with Samsung, because it’s a brand that inspires and empowers people to greatness, which is something any athlete can appreciate,” said Zoeggeler. “I can’t wait to share my Sochi experience on my new GALAXY Note 3. I’ve got a lot of friends and family who want to see the Olympic Games through my eyes.”

As previously announced, global sports icons Evgeny Malkin (hockey star and member of Samsung GALAXY Team Russia) and Maria Sharapova (tennis champion, Olympic medalist and Samsung’s brand ambassador for Sochi 2014) will help Samsung connect global fans into the Olympic spirit.

Leading up to the Games, consumers throughout Russia can catch the Olympic spirit and experience winter sports through Samsung smart devices and interactive technologies in Sport Interactive Zones hosted in the Samsung GALAXY Studio-on-the-Go that is currently touring 15 Russian cities.

The traveling containers in the GALAXY Studio-On-The-Go will unite in Sochi to form the Samsung GALAXY Studio at the Olympic Park, featuring interactive demos that put the consumer into Olympic sport scenarios through Samsung devices and technologies, as well as games and promotions that draw fans into the excitement of the Games.

To expand the Olympic spirit beyond Sochi, Samsung will create a Samsung GALAXY Studio in Moscow, complete with an interactive zone offering a direct view into Sochi 2014.

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games

Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Beginning with the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, the company extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, providing its proprietary wireless communications platform, called Wireless Olympic Works (WOW), and mobile phones. These innovative mobile phone technologies provide the Olympic Family with real-time, user location-based information service and interactive communications. Samsung hosts various digital marketing campaigns to share the excitement of the Olympic Games with people around the world and enable everyone to participate in the Games through its smart mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner continues through to Rio 2016.