Olympic Media Accreditation FAQ

Who manages Olympic media credentials?
Accreditation is managed by respective National Olympic Associations, which are responsible only for media companies based in that nation. The U.S. Olympic Committee manages requests for media companies in the USA with counsel from a selection committee including Associated Press Sports Editors.

Who can apply for credentials?
Any U.S. based media company (newspapers, national magazines, websites providing original content), not individuals, may apply to the USOC. If granted accreditation, media companies then assign those credentials to individuals.

How can individual or freelancer get credentials?
Applications are only accepted from media companies. Freelance journalists should work together with an eligible media company to have that media outlet apply.

What if I only need credentials for one sport or venue?
There are no sport-specific media credentials, only overall media credentials.

How many credentials can my media outlet obtain?
Credentials are allocated by nation. The USOC has a very limited number of credentials to handle the demand of a large number of U.S. media. If selected, a typical allocation to a sport specific media outlet would be one or maybe two credentials. More than that is extremely rare. Be judicious in your request!

When will I know if our application is accepted?
The deadline for application is Aug. 31, 2012. Initial allocations will be made in October. While some allocations pefor sport specific media may be approved on that timeline, our experience is that sport specific approvals generally come later – sometimes in the last six months prior to the Games.

How do I get to Sochi?
It’s actually quite easy to travel to Sochi. Delta Air Lines has daily service from the USA to Moscow, with easy 2-1/2 hour connecting service to Sochi.

What about hotels in Sochi?
Any media approved for accreditation will be eligible to purchase services from Sochi 2014, including media hotels, at rate card prices. While not required, it does provide an opportunity for good lodging in the mountain venues at reasonable market rates.

Can the USSA help with our credential application?
The USSA maintains a close working relationship with the USOC on accreditation of sport specific media. When applying, sport media should also advise the USSA. Note that the USSA will prioritize those media that regularly and actively cover USSA athletes and events.

USOC ACCREDITATION GUIDELINES
The United States Olympic Committee is accepting request from U.S. media organizations for accreditation to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia with a deadline for submission is Aug. 31, 2012.
USOC Sochi 2014 Online Media Accreditation Application
    
The process is open to:

• Daily or weekly newspapers (limited availability for weeklies)
• National news or sports magazines
• Web-based organizations with staff members providing original content
• Photographic media organizations with wide-ranging magazine, newspaper and web-based clientele

All requesting organizations must be based in the United States and meet the guideline standards included on the registration site. Late requests will not be considered for the first allocation and will be placed on a waiting list for later consideration.

The USOC received a very limited number of accreditations from the IOC for allocation to U.S. media outlets. The USOC and a committee composed of Associated Press sports editors, along with representatives of magazines, newspapers, websites and photographers will meet in October 2012 to determine allocations.

Requesting organizations will be notified of the results in late October 2012.

All non-rights holding broadcasters will be accredited by the International Olympic Committee. The form will be available Oct. 8 at Olympic.org and the deadline is Nov. 16.