Tech Titan Pulls Olympic Sponsorship Amid Backlash Over ‘Anti-Christian’ Opening Ceremony

C Spire, the sixth-largest telecommunications and technology company in the United States, has announced its decision to withdraw all advertisements from NBC’s Olympic coverage. This decision follows the opening ceremony, which many viewers criticized for mocking Christianity.

During the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, a controversial rendition of the Last Supper was performed, echoing Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting. The reenactment featured drag queens and transgender performers positioned similarly to the disciples in the iconic artwork, with several young children also included in the scene. Many viewers found the portrayal, particularly in this context, highly inappropriate and offensive.

In addition to the Last Supper reenactment, the ceremony included a segment referencing the Book of Revelation. This segment featured a rider dressed as the white horseman, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, symbolizing death. The performance, accompanied by pyrotechnics, struck many as another instance of mockery.

C Spire responded swiftly, pulling its advertisements from the Olympics broadcast within 24 hours. The company expressed its disapproval on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. C Spire will be pulling our advertising from the Olympics.”

The decision was met with support from many commenters, who praised the company for upholding values they believed were important. Messages of gratitude included sentiments such as, “Have never been more proud of a company. Thank you for representing the values of your customers” and “THANK YOU! 🙏 As a Mississippian, I already know what you stand for, and now I know what you value. Together, this is how we win. It’s us vs [them]—good vs evil. May we all continue to stand for what is right—thank you for leading the way on the corporate front. :)”

Christian leaders also voiced their disapproval. Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester commented on the display, suggesting that it revealed a secularist society’s antagonism towards Christianity. He encouraged Christians to resist and speak out. Similarly, a group of French bishops expressed their outrage, condemning the “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” They extended gratitude to members of other religious communities for their solidarity.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta also took to X to share his “distress and great disappointment at the insult to us Christians during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics when a group of drag artists parodied the Last Supper of Jesus.”