NBA WILL Have Sponsors' Ads On Jerseys In 2013-14 Season

[bearclawd]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/7/19/3170963/nba-ads-sponsors-jerseys-2013

By Andy Hutchins - Editor

The NBA says it's "likely" teams will have ads on jerseys for the 2013-14 season. And that could bring the league a $100 million windfall.

Follow @sbnation on Twitter, and Like SBNation.com on Facebook.

Jul 19, 2012 - The NBA is always in search of new streams of revenue, which is part of why the league has done so much under David Stern to globalize and mainstream its appeal. The league may also be selling space on its apparel shortly:

Ken Berger @KBergCBS

Adam Silver says it's "likely" some sort of plan for jersey advertisements would be implemented next season.
19 Jul 12

Reply
Retweet
Favorite

That quote comes from NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who spoke with Stern at a press conference in Las Vegas on Thursday, and it's likely to rankle purists who believe in jerseys being free of advertisements (except, one supposes, for the official apparel brand of the NBA), despite European soccer using jersey ads extensively and the WNBA having ads on jerseys since the Phoenix Mercury signed a deal in 2009.

The current proposal for jersey ads would be as a small patch on the shoulder, not exactly as obtrusive as a sponsor name across the chest, and could bring in up to $100 million in total. According to Silver, while guidelines would be in place for ads in the 2012-13 season, ads would not start appearing on jerseys until 2013-14.

Didn't see this posted anywhere...

EDIT: A little more insight:

http://www.uni-watch.com/2012/07/20/nba-planning-to-add-uniform-advertising-in-2013/

Hopefully I Won't Be Writing About Uniforms Anymore by Then Anyway, but Still...
By Paul Lukas, on July 20th, 2012

Screen shot 2012-07-20 at 1.12.39 AM.png

I have a new ESPN column running today about Penn State’s football uniforms (Link Here), but that’s on the back burner for now, because there’s major news afoot: NBA commissioner David Stern — often lauded in this space for being a stalwart holdout against logo creep — went from hero to zero last night by announcing that the league will permit jersey ads beginning in 2013-14.

Details are scant at the moment, in part because the announcement came shortly before midnight (sneaky, eh?). But here’s what I’ve been able to piece together:

• According to the NBA’s own web site, “[N]o vote was taken on putting advertisements on jerseys … [but there was] a strong preference to move forward. … The final decision will likely come in an e-mail vote in September.” So this isn’t yet a done deal, but it’s getting closer.

• That same article states that the uniform ads would be “2½ inches-by-2½ inches just above the heart.” But CBS basketball columnist Ken Berger is reporting that the size would be two inches square, not two and a half. Totally unacceptable either way, of course.

• Under the proposal being discussed, teams would be permitted to have uni ads but would not be required to do so, so some teams could stay ad-free. But deputy commish Adam Silver — the league’s point man for the uni ads — is quoted thusly in the NBA article: “My sense is that every team would do this in some form.”

• Silver has also given quotes indicating that the ads will be included on the jerseys sold at retail.

• My first thought (and maybe yours too) upon reading that the ads would go “just above the heart” was, “Hey, that’s where the NBA logo lives. Will they move that to the other side?” That point is addressed in this Las Vegas Sun article, which states that the ads “would bump the NBA logo either to the other side, where an Adidas logo is currently placed, or on the back of the jerseys.” Of course, there’s no Adidas logo on NBA game jerseys, although there is on retail jerseys, so it’s hard to know if this reporter was referring to the latter or if he’s just clueless. Either way, the thought of the NBA logo appearing on the back is interesting. After all, MLB does it, right? But the MLB logo is horizontal, not vertical, and many NBA teams already have their own logos at the rear neckline. Hmmmmm.

There’s some additional coverage here, and I expect there’ll be plenty more as people wake up this morning and hear what’s going on.

If this is a trial balloon, it’s one with a fairly short lead time. Basically, we have until September to organize a response (no, I don’t know the exact date of the September Board of Govs meeting, but that’s one of several things I’ll try to find out today). I have to admit, I’m surprised — I thought they’d take an incremental step, like putting ads on practice jerseys or warm-ups.

But maybe we can still get them to go that route if we make our voices heard. This is a genuine red-alert crisis, people — even if you don’t care about the NBA (I don’t much care about it myself), this move would open the door for uniform advertising in the other Big Four leagues. The threat is real, and the time to respond to it is now: Tweet to @nba with the hashtag #NoUniAds, send an e-mail to the league, call the league office (they’re in the book: 212-407-8000). Do all of those things, and tell them in no uncertain terms, “NO UNIFORM ADS!” And if the ads will make you less likely to buy a retail jersey, be sure to tell them that too.

Remember, folks, all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Your uni-verse needs you. You know what to do.

 

[casperjr]

@ 100mil total **** is a joke the top teams will get that if not more

 

[finallyfamous]

Might have to start coppin jerseys then now. Can't see many fans buying them with sponsors but hell if the players are doing it fans follow...

Sounds tacky and incredibly lame

 

[miamin2]

Might have to start coppin jerseys then now. Can't see many fans buying them with sponsors but hell if the players are doing it fans follow...
Sounds tacky and incredibly lame

Yep, gonna have to stock up before I have some stupid *** ad on the shoulder.

But seriously, I'd be ok if the fans were getting something out of this. Lower ticket prices ain't gonna happen, jersey prices aren't either. Now selling out and messing with the jerseys, as if there's not enough ads in every nba arena or game on tv

 

[xbiker47]

This is a horrible idea

 

[presequel]

honestly don't think its that big of a deal.

 

[airmvtwo]

ewww, this will make it look ugly.

 

[finallyfamous]

Just what I want is a Kyrie jersey with a ******g M golden arch on the back.

 

[Bert.]

SMH x10000000 if this happens

 

[dland24]

As long as its subtle, and not huge like soccer jerseys, dont see the issue. It was bound to happen sometime.

 

[air jsarg]

haha the NBA will be looking like the NBL over here in australia.

even i'm against that!

 

[street sampras]

That's so lame

In soccer it doesn't matter as much because of how far away the camera is, in addition to tradition.

You know damn well any and all revenue will go into the pockets of the owners. You gotta be crazy if you think anything else.

EDIT: Does the NBL have no sense of team name innovation? 36'ers? C'mon now

 

[justscrap]

it can work for European sports team but when it's American sports team not including soccer, it just doesn't seem right.

 

[dvdjamm5150]

A terrible idea...Stern is so greedy. No one wants to see any team with a corporate ad or logo on their uniform...Unless it's Nascar

 

[lbj23navo]

SMDH.. So lame

 

[equality]

Sigh. Better rack up all the jerseys I can now. !@# you Stern

 

[djyaz]

looks like ill never buy another nba jersey .. ads on sumthing u buy is hurting

cfl jerseys have it, n i understand doing it in a underfunded not so popular leauge  but nba? common thats wak pure greed

 

[jd214]

Great for soccer, I actually like them.

But for the NBA? Seriously? :x

 

[acidicality]

It was only a matter of time.

I'm all for it if it means jerseys would be cheaper, which I know they won't. Still isn't a huge deal to me.

 

[ptownpimperoni]

I hate this. But if this is happening I guess I just hope the Blazers get a good sponsor, I will not wear a jersey with a McDonald's logo on it.

 

[goldmember]

:x

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

No way this is going to happen..

 

[mister916]

Gross. But the Maloofs approve.

 

[xtapolapacetl]

I wouldn't even mind this if it would eliminate the "official time-outs" and have less stops during the game for commercials... Except that it won't, and it's just a move to make as much money as possible.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Gross. But the Maloofs approve.

Can't wait to have a 2x2 Kumon patch on the Kings jersey