Olympic gold medallist Dan Jansen, left, and The Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert announced the show has become the primary sponsor of the U.S. speedskating team for the Vancouver Olympics. Olympic gold medallist Dan Jansen, left, and The Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert announced the show has become the primary sponsor of the U.S. speedskating team for the Vancouver Olympics. (Kris Long/Comedy Central/Associated Press) A new nation is joining the upcoming Vancouver Olympics: the Colbert Nation, which has signed on as the primary sponsor of the U.S. speedskating team.

TV satirist Stephen Colbert made the announcement on his Comedy Central show The Colbert Report on Monday, joined by US Speedskating executive director Robert Crowley and Olympic gold medallist Dan Jansen.

The team's uniforms for the Games in February will even bear the name of the show's ardent fan following.

"On their enormous, billboard thighs, it will say 'Colbert Nation,'" the mock-conservative talk show host said in an interview prior to Monday's taping.

"Be looking for that logo as it comes around the final turn. It will be easy to see because it will be in first place."

'On their enormous, billboard thighs, it will say "Colbert Nation."'—Stephen Colbert

A new sponsor was required after the team's original one, Dutch bank DSB — which had signed on to pay $300,000 US for the sponsorship — declared bankruptcy in October.

Colbert is calling on fans to make donations to the team via the Colbert Nation and the US Speedskating websites. In the past, his online calls to action have successfully raised funds for charities, like the Yellow Ribbon Fund.

"We're highly optimistic that the country is going to get behind this and get behind the Colbert Nation and support this amazing team," Crowley said.

"I don't have any idea if it's going to make $5 US or $500,000 US. I couldn't tell you."

Colbert also said he had considered taking his show, which films in New York, to Vancouver for the Olympics.

"It still tragically involves a lot of Canadians," the comedian said. "It's kind of unseemly how many Canadians I'm going to have to be dealing with."

Colbert, who adopts an over-the-top persona on his hit satire, has previously lent his name to a host of initiatives, from a treadmill on the international space station, to a limited-edition flavour of ice cream, to a mascot for a junior hockey team.

With files from The Associated Press