NBA teams can now sell advertising space on jerseys
The expect to generate more than $100m in yearly revenue
National Basketball League owners approved the sale of advertising space on team jerseys, which will appear as small patches beginning in the 2017-2018 season.
Each of the NBA’s 30 teams will be responsible for selling the sponsorships, according to a statement released by the NBA Board of Governors. The patches will be placed on the front left side of the jerseys, opposite the Nike brand logo — which took the place of Adidas as official uniform supplier.
“Jersey sponsorships provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build a unique association with our teams,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, “and the additional investment will help grow the game in exciting new ways.”
The league will run the sponsorships during a three-year pilot program.
According to Bloomberg, the sponsorships will generate $150m annually for the league. ESPN reported that teams will keep 50 per cent of the advertising sales, while the other 50 per cent will be placed into a revenue-sharing pool to compensate for the differences in market sizes.
The NBA is the first of the four major US professional sports leagues to implement a sponsorship program on their jerseys.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies