The NBA is about to get a bit more ad-friendly.
The teams’ owners have approved a motion to put advertisements on players’ jerseys as part of a three-year pilot program, which will start at the beginning of the 2017-18 season. This move will make the NBA the third major sports league to put ads on jerseys, following the WNBA and Major League Soccer.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been an advocate for putting ads on jersey since before he nabbed the position. This isn’t cause for concern yet, though; the ads will be just 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches and featured on one side of the chest, the other will have Nike’s Swoosh logo. The 2017-18 season will also mark the first time Nike will make the jerseys, taking over after adidas’ contract expires.
“Jersey sponsorships provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build a unique association with our teams and the additional investment will help grow the game in exciting new ways,” Adam Silver said in a statement on Friday.
Silver was asked by ESPN‘s Rachel Nichols why the NBA needs these ads, especially after the league just signed a $24 billion TV deal. Silver says as long as it doesn’t hurt competition, it’s all fair game.
Good thing Kobe Bryant got out when he did.
SOURCE: ESPN | VIDEO SOURCE: Inform
NBA Owners Agree To Put Ads On Jerseys was originally published on globalgrind.com
