C Spire Pulls Olympics Ads Over Opening Ceremony Segment

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2024 – Wireless and cable company C Spire pulled its Olympics advertising in response to a segment in Friday's opening ceremony in Paris, France, calling it a “mockery.”

The Olympics hosted a four-hour ceremony on Friday. During the event, drag queens and dancers stood by a long table while striking poses, which some believed was reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” depicting Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles.

"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," C Spire said on its X platform feed on Saturday The post now has over 9.1 million views.

This caused mixed reactions among the 28.6 million viewers of NBCUniversal watching the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. Some praised the performance, while others within the Christian community criticized it as a mockery of their religion.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, a Republican, supported the company's decision to pull out, stating on X in a post that has over 300,000 views, "I am proud to see the private sector in Mississippi step up and take a stand. God will not be mocked. C Spire drew a common-sense, appropriate line."

Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized “if people have taken any offense” at a press conference on Sunday. “Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group.” she said. 

The wireless and cable company, founded in 1988 and offering advanced technology solutions, focuses on serving residential and business customers in the southeastern United States, particularly in Mississippi. In 2021, C Spire purchased Troy Cablevision, a telecommunications company based in Alabama.