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- Inventory for practices and shootarounds set to be introduced next season
- Potential for logos to feature more prominently than on playing shirts
- Top NBA patch deals on game jerseys worth north of US$10m
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has approved plans to allow all teams in the league to place an additional sponsorship asset on practice jerseys, according to The Athletic.
The expanded inventory, which opens up branding opportunities for companies during team practices and shootarounds, will enable franchises to recoup some of the lost revenues brought on by Covid-19.
Though the reported new practice patches would be a first for the NBA, the league has allowed sponsorship patches on playing uniforms since 2017. Ahead of the 2019/20 season, the top ten patch deals were worth around, or north of, US$10 million per year.
The Golden State Warriors alone are reportedly earning US$20 million per year from their patch agreement with Japanese ecommerce company Rakuten.
The outlay for potential sponsors on practice jerseys would likely be less than on playing shirts, though there is potential for logos to be larger than on game attire, where sponsor branding is currently limited to the right side shoulder area.
If confirmed, the NBA would join Major League Soccer (MLS) as another major North American sports league offering up more sponsorship opportunities in a bid to plug the income shortfall caused by coronavirus.
Ahead of its return to play in July, the region's top soccer league permitted teams to place additional branding on shorts and left shirt sleeves, prompting a slew of new deals.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has approved plans to allow all teams in the league to place an additional sponsorship asset on practice jerseys, according to The Athletic.
The expanded inventory, which opens up branding opportunities for companies during team practices and shootarounds, will enable franchises to recoup some of the lost revenues brought on by Covid-19.
Though the reported new practice patches would be a first for the NBA, the league has allowed sponsorship patches on playing uniforms since 2017. Ahead of the 2019/20 season, the top ten patch deals were worth around, or north of, US$10 million per year.
The Golden State Warriors alone are reportedly earning US$20 million per year from their patch agreement with Japanese ecommerce company Rakuten.
The outlay for potential sponsors on practice jerseys would likely be less than on playing shirts, though there is potential for logos to be larger than on game attire, where sponsor branding is currently limited to the right side shoulder area.
If confirmed, the NBA would join Major League Soccer (MLS) as another major North American sports league offering up more sponsorship opportunities in a bid to plug the income shortfall caused by coronavirus.
Ahead of its return to play in July, the region's top soccer league permitted teams to place additional branding on shorts and left shirt sleeves, prompting a slew of new deals.
