The sixth-largest company in the United States, C Spire, a telecommunications and technology firm, has announced that it is withdrawing all of its ads from NBC’s Olympic coverage. This decision comes in response to the event’s opening ceremony, which many argue mocked Christianity.
During the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, there was a controversial reenactment of the Last Supper, the significant event when Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples before being arrested, scourged by Pontius Pilate, and crucified on Calvary Hill. The rendition, inspired by Da Vinci’s famous painting, featured drag queens and transgender performers seated in the same formation, along with a number of young children, which many found highly inappropriate.
Additionally, the opening ceremony included a reference to the Book of Revelation, depicting one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, a white horseman symbolizing death, riding across water with a pyrotechnics display. This, too, was perceived as mocking Christian beliefs.
C Spire pulled its advertising within 24 hours of the event, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “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.”
Commenters praised the decision, expressing 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. :)”