The Philadelphia 76ers became the first of the major sports franchises in the United States to sell advertising on their jerseys. The 76ers will begin partnering with StubHub during the 2017-2018 season. The deal will run for three years at $5 million per year. Although new for American sports, European markets have been selling advertising on their jerseys for years. This is most predominantly seen during soccer where the advertisers logo is often more prevalent than the teams.
It is likely that more American sports franchises will follow the 76ers trend as it is a way to gain extra revenue. This will occur first in the NBA followed by the National Hockey League. The other two sports, football and baseball, will be less likely to follow this trend. Football generates enough money on its’ own that advertising space on jerseys would be unwarranted. As for baseball, you can already find advertising on jerseys of teams in Japan and the Far East however, do not expect that trend to come stateside. Traditionalist baseball fans would never welcome such a change.
What do you think about advertising on jerseys? Comment below.
