ESPN: NBA Approves Advertising on Uniforms

[Bostic Hog]

Although I am not a big NBA fan, I do watch the Sixers as a "fairweather fan".

Got up early today to watch The Open Championship and was browsing ESPN.com and found the article.

NBA will allow "small patches" for advertising beginning in 2013. AND, these patches will also be included on jerseys sold at retail.

So, NBA jerseys are now going to look like a billboard. Personally, I have no problem with this. I don't buy NBA jerseys anyway.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8182973/nba-adds-three-additional-uses-instant-replay-2012-13-season

[Bang]

:ols:
As if this sport could not be more over-exposed...

The NBA.. the neverending commercial.

~Bang

[Dictator]

let's keep our fingers crossed for Smith and Wesson putting an ad on the Wizards jersey....

[DButz65]

^^ LOL

They could do that on every team... the nba is a joke

[Major Harris]

we can laugh at the nba now, but will we laugh when the other leagues follow suit? it will happen eventually.

[pjfootballer]

Advertising has gone completely crazy in this country. The "Over Saturization" of commercials and advertising is....I just can't even think of a word for it. Just watching a sporting event is enough to give me a headache. Watch baseball, there is a rolling board behind the catcher, ads on the pads near the dugout, ads all over the stadium facades, wall, etc. Watch NASCAR and they give you an in-car camera and ads are plastered all over the inside of the car or one next to the shock absorber when they show a camera on the wheel. Hockey has them plastered all over the boards and now the ice is getting "mucked" up with so many ads, you can't see the lines.

I just hate the idea of ads on the jerseys. Take the WNBA or Soccer. You can't even see the team name on the jersey's anymore. Why would I buy a jersey that says Volkswagon across it or Cigna Health Care instead of my team's name. I know it's coming in the NFL and when it does, that will be the last jersey that I buy.

[Bang]

we can laugh at the nba now, but will we laugh when the other leagues follow suit? it will happen eventually.

I'll be honest.. I recognize the fact behind your words...
My problem with the NBA isn't this.. it's that the championship isn't even over a week before they draft, then fre agency happens, within a month they're training, and back again in 3 months... so half the league can make the playoffs that last 4 months.

It never ends. It's the eternal commercial.
I don't know how anyone can get excited over it.. the champs can't even be champs before it all starts back up.

~Bang

[Buford]

anything is better than "Wizards" across the chest of grown men.

[MattFancy]

we can laugh at the nba now, but will we laugh when the other leagues follow suit? it will happen eventually.

I agree. When you think about it, all of soccer and the WNBA already have them. Its just a matter of time before the NFL and MLB do the same.

[Major Harris]

I'll be honest.. I recognize the fact behind your words...
My problem with the NBA isn't this.. it's that the championship isn't even over a week before they draft, then fre agency happens, within a month they're training, and back again in 3 months... so half the league can make the playoffs that last 4 months.

It never ends. It's the eternal commercial.
I don't know how anyone can get excited over it.. the champs can't even be champs before it all starts back up.

~Bang

many sports are like that. nascar takes 3 months off. baseball never stops unfortunately. football ends in february, you have free agency march 1st, draft in april, ota's in june, rookie camp early / mid july, training camp late july / early august. pre-season games in august and season in september. across the pond, soccer never stops.

[renaissance]

Basketball is the one sport where I would not wear a jersey as a fan. They are just really ****ing goofy looking unless you are playing.

[Bang]

many sports are like that. nascar takes 3 months off. baseball never stops unfortunately. football ends in february, you have free agency march 1st, draft in april, ota's in june, rookie camp early / mid july, training camp late july / early august. pre-season games in august and season in september. across the pond, soccer never stops.

At least in th NFL a small number of teams make it.. there's much more urgency to it all. And there's a good month for the champs to be celebrated before free agency kicks in..
In the NBA, the playoffs start in April, and end in late June.

If the NBA playoffs went to a shorter tournament and invited the same number of teams I think it would be more exciting. Single or double elimination.

~Bang

[Rocky21]

I'm against it (the Nascaring of the other sports). Does anyone remember when major league baseball put spiderman logos on the bases a few years ago? Fans went ape**** crazy! I imagine in a few years, they'll follow the NBA's lead and this sort of thing will be back.

[Major Harris]

At least in th NFL a small number of teams make it.. there's much more urgency to it all. And there's a good month for the champs to be celebrated before free agency kicks in..
In the NBA, the playoffs start in April, and end in late June.

If the NBA playoffs went to a shorter tournament and invited the same number of teams I think it would be more exciting. Single or double elimination.

~Bang

i will not argue the superiority of the nfl. :ols:

[MLSKINS]

Basketball is the one sport where I would not wear a jersey as a fan. They are just really ****ing goofy looking unless you are playing.
This to an extent...

If I am at a cookout or something outside and I don't want to wear a plain tank-top or something, I will wear a basketball jersey. But other than those two venues, there is no point in wearing them. :2cents:

Who is this team? :ols:
http://nba.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pDIT-10059021reg.jpg

[ixcuincle]

Basketball is the one sport where I would not wear a jersey as a fan. They are just really ****ing goofy looking unless you are playing.

Will NBA jerseys end up like EPL jerseys

O2

Fly Emirates

[RansomthePasserby]

They should just quit team names all together and go all the way with whoever sponsors them. I can't wait to see the game between the Washington Apples and Denver Wal-Marts.

[Sticksboi05]

^^ LOL

They could do that on every team... the nba is a joke

The NFL has way more thugs than the NBA. The amount of arrests in the NFL are comically higher.

[pjfootballer]

Who is this team? :ols:
http://nba.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pDIT-10059021reg.jpg

The Innova Health System Fighting Innoculations.

[Park City Skins]

The NFL has way more thugs than the NBA. The amount of arrests in the NFL are comically higher.

Due to sheer numbers,possibly true. Per capita,maybe not.

[renaissance]

Due to sheer numbers,possibly true. Per capita,maybe not.

A significantly shorter offseason probably doesn't hurt either.

[DButz65]

The NFL has way more thugs than the NBA. The amount of arrests in the NFL are comically higher.

You do realize the NFL has way more players than the NBA right

[Sticksboi05]

You do realize the NFL has way more players than the NBA right

I know but I'd be willing to bet per player it's a close rate at least. Well, in the last week Jason Kidd and Marshawn Lynch even out.

[Heisenberg]

I know but I'd be willing to bet per player it's a close rate at least. Well, in the last week Jason Kidd and Marshawn Lynch even out.

Here's a decent article on the subject:

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201110/nfls-surprising-new-arrest-leader

None of the sports leagues have a very high arrest rate.

[ixcuincle]

I don't like the NBA but even I got to admit the meme of the NBA being crime-ridden is so 2000, especially with the recent RASH of NFL arrests

[DCranon21]

I think some NFL practice jerseys already have sponsorship on them already. I know the Eagles and Steelers have a Xfinity path on the left or right side of the practice jersey. Gameday jerseys I seriously doubt it.

[TaylorPickSix]

Soccer has been doing this for about a bajillion years now. I'm not surprised the NBA is doing this. Additional revenue.

Hell, have you guys played NBA 2K12? While that game is incredible, it seriously feels like a never-ending commercial.

[ixcuincle]

Yeah, I'm fine with it as long as the ads aren't splattered all over the uniform. Then it's just a mess.

---------- Post added July-20th-2012 at 10:05 AM ----------

Pfft, it's just a small advertising patch

Not as much a big deal as many have put it

[Destino]

Basketball is the one sport where I would not wear a jersey as a fan. They are just really ****ing goofy looking unless you are playing.

I agree with you. When did basketball adopt the sleeveless tube they call a jersey as the official shirt that must be worn at all things basketball anyway? The tshirts they have available are much better than the official gear.

[stevemcqueen1]

Basketball is the one sport where I would not wear a jersey as a fan. They are just really ****ing goofy looking unless you are playing.

It's not the only sport I wouldn't wear a jersey in, but it's the one I would look like the biggest tool in. Grown men just shouldn't wear jerseys unless they're players. I look absolutely ridiculous in football jerseys too. Girls can get away with it though.

[RedskinsNation]

I "pull" for the Wizards but all in all I despise the WWF on hardwood & if the league went defunct I would not blink. I could care less if they turn their uni's into NASCAR jerseys.

"The NBA, Where Fixes Happen."

[Destino]

I know but I'd be willing to bet per player it's a close rate at least. Well, in the last week Jason Kidd and Marshawn Lynch even out.
DUI arrests really don't fit with the "thug" narrative. If you're trying to paint any league as having a higher criminal element than another you'd be looking for crimes that fit the thug image. Having said that I think "thug" is an image more than anything else and it popped up during the Trayvon Martin situation where people argued about hoodies and what they meant.

The NBA right now though is ruled by hipster fashion. In fact when was the last time men as large as NBA players have ever voluntarily dressed in a less intimidating manner?

[stevemcqueen1]

I agree with you. When did basketball adopt the sleeveless tube they call a jersey as the official shirt that must be worn at all things basketball anyway? The tshirts they have available are much better than the official gear.

I haven't worn a basketball jersey casually since I was like 11. Even then it was one of those deals where you wear the white T-Shirt underneath. I don't want to look like a little boy.

[Destino]

It's not the only sport I wouldn't wear a jersey in, but it's the one I would look like the biggest tool in. Grown men just shouldn't wear jerseys unless they're players. I look absolutely ridiculous in football jerseys too. Girls can get away with it though.

Grown men can wear jersey's to games and blend right in. If they put an NBA jersey on they need to remember to wear a tshirt under it though or risk looking (more) ridiculous.

[stevemcqueen1]

Soccer has been doing this for about a bajillion years now. I'm not surprised the NBA is doing this. Additional revenue.

Hell, have you guys played NBA 2K12? While that game is incredible, it seriously feels like a never-ending commercial.

You've got things like the Sprite slam cam in that game (which is in real broadcasts too), but on the whole, it feels like it has less product placement than the football games. Old Spice red zone report brought to you by Pontiac?

---------- Post added July-20th-2012 at 10:40 AM ----------


Grown men can wear jersey's to games and blend right in. If they put an NBA jersey on they need to remember to wear a tshirt under it though or risk looking (more) ridiculous.

I hate to say it, but I think grown men wearing jerseys at games look ridiculous too. My cousin and his friend do it. He's got a couple of Redskins Jerseys he wears most Sundays, especially when he goes to the games. But my Cousin is also 6'3 and maybe 150 pounds. He looks ridiculous. Maybe 1% of fans can actually fill those things out like they are meant to be filled out.

I've never bought a Redskins jersey as an adult and I probably never will unless it's something special I could hang up somewhere for display. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I just can't bring myself to wear them in public.

[pjfootballer]

I wear football, baseball and hockey jerseys when I attend the games to show my alligience. For some reason, I could never get into wearing a tank top to basketball games, even with a t-shirt on under it. It just looks weird. I do have authentic Bullets and Wizards jerseys in my closet, but they are more for show.

Oh, and I NEVER wear a jersey out in public when not going to a sporting event. That I think, is for kids and not adults. I hate going to the mall or store and seeing a grown man wearing a Cam Newton jersey (I'm here in Charlotte.)

[stevemcqueen1]

At least in th NFL a small number of teams make it.. there's much more urgency to it all. And there's a good month for the champs to be celebrated before free agency kicks in..
In the NBA, the playoffs start in April, and end in late June.

If the NBA playoffs went to a shorter tournament and invited the same number of teams I think it would be more exciting. Single or double elimination.

~Bang

The NBA playoffs are exciting enough IMO. They could be tinkered with, but there is too much randomness in a single game to have a satisfying finale in single or double elimination. This system goes a long way towards sorting out who the best teams truly are. Playoffs are the second season. It's where legacies are made.

Mediocre like Eli Manning having two rings doesn't happen in the NBA. There is something to be said for that.

[skinsgirl26]

They should just quit team names all together and go all the way with whoever sponsors them. I can't wait to see the game between the Washington Apples and Denver Wal-Marts.

Washington Apples are pretty tasty :)

I hate the idea of advertising on uniforms. Makes it all about the money and none about the sport.

[Destino]

The NBA playoffs are exciting enough IMO. They could be tinkered with, but there is too much randomness in a single game to have a satisfying finale in single or double elimination. This system goes a long way towards sorting out who the best teams truly are. Playoffs are the second season. It's where legacies are made.

Mediocre like Eli Manning having two rings doesn't happen in the NBA. There is something to be said for that.
I love the NBA but 7 games series are too long and IMO are done entirely to make more money. Three is the perfect compromise as it keeps the drama cranked up and allows for a team having a bad shooting night. Longer than that and you have meaningless games and that shouldn't happen in the post season.

Having said that I still love the NBA post season and the NBA in general. Being that I've watched international soccer casually for years the sponsorship thing doesn't bother me at all. I hope we get a good one here in Washington and not something terrible like Snuggle fabric softener.

[MLSKINS]

The NBA playoffs are exciting enough IMO. They could be tinkered with, but there is too much randomness in a single game to have a satisfying finale in single or double elimination. This system goes a long way towards sorting out who the best teams truly are. Playoffs are the second season. It's where legacies are made.

Mediocre like Eli Manning having two rings doesn't happen in the NBA. There is something to be said for that.
First of all nice shot at Eli, :applause:

I don't know if you watch Open Court on NBA TV (by far one of the best Sport shows ever created) but Ernie Johnson asked the panel if they were Commish what will be the first thing they do. Reggie Miller said that he would let the best 16 teams go to the playoffs instead of having 8 from the West and 8 from the East. I think that would be a great idea. The travel has gotten so much better so if a Blazers had to play the Heat, they can have one day of travel and just play every other day. I would love to see that.


I love the NBA but 7 games series are too long
7 games is good to me. It proves who the better team. Honestly, I wish it was a way to have a best out of three in football, but there is no way that happens. The sport is to demanding for that to happen.

[Corcaigh]

let's keep our fingers crossed for Smith and Wesson putting an ad on the Wizards jersey....

I would have thought all the leading vacuum manufacturers would have been bidding for the sponsorship rights.

"Sucking better and harder than anyone else"

[stevemcqueen1]

First of all nice shot at Eli, :applause:

I don't know if you watch Open Court on NBA TV (by far one of the best Sport shows ever created) but Ernie Johnson asked the panel if they were Commish what will be the first thing they do. Reggie Miller said that he would let the best 16 teams go to the playoffs instead of having 8 from the West and 8 from the East. I think that would be a great idea. The travel has gotten so much better so if a Blazers had to play the Heat, they can have one day of travel and just play every other day. I would love to see that. Open Court is the best sports show I've ever seen. I don't understand how they get it to work with like 10 different talking heads in the same room. But it does.

I know the segment you're talking about and I think it was actually Kenny Smith who suggested that 1-16 format. Kenny's the smart one. I agree with his idea. Travel logistics would be hard to work out. But they've got some sort of system set up for the Finals clearly. You don't have to play all of the games in the opening rounds every other night either. There are enough games at that point where you can still have one or two on every night, even if you go two days off in between them.

How awesome would it be to have a top three seeding like the Heat, Thunder, and Lakers all entertwining in the playoffs instead of the arbitrary and artificial separation of the conferences getting in the way? (Milwaukee and Chicago are in the East and New Orleans is in the West?)

Reggie had one of the weird suggestions like adding more officials to the game and adding video review or something like that. Where you could challenge calls and get points taken back off the board like 5 minutes after the fact. Barkley made fun of him for his idea... until CWebb suggested they do away with charges completely, after which Chuck apologized to Reggie and said it was no longer the dumbest idea he had ever heard of. :ols:



7 games is good to me. It proves who the better team. Honestly, I wish it was a way to have a best out of three in football, but there is no way that happens. The sport is to demanding for that to happen.

I agree.

[ixcuincle]

I can see the Wizards with Verizon logos

Just a big check mark on the front with Verizon

I'd buy that

[pjfootballer]

A 7 game series isn't too long, it's the spacing out of the games. I realize some teams share a venue with a hockey team and in LA's case, another basketball team, but the whole thing is too long and drawn out. That was a peeve of mine with the baseballl playoffs. Baseball players played games every day, but they put off days in between games 1 and 2 for TV purposes. But with the extra round of playoffs in baseball, they've been better about playing back to back.

My solution is to go to the 2-3-2 format for every series. You can play back to back games 1 and 2. Get an off day, play game 3, get an off day, play games 4 and 5 back to back, get an off day for game 6 and another off day for game 7.

[Rocky21]

I hate the idea of advertising on uniforms. Makes it all about the money and none about the sport.As obvious as your point is, some folks still miss it. (Not a shot at anyone here.)

[MLSKINS]

Oh yeah, it was Kenny who said that. But yeah, this year in the first round it would have been:

1Chicago vs 16Philly
2Spurs vs 15Utah
3OKC VS 14Dallas
4Miami vs 13New York
5Indy vs 12Orlando
6LAL vs 11Denver
7Memphis vs 10Boston
8LAC vs 9Atlanta

I find it kind of ironic that the first six series are the same, but those last two would have been nice to see.

[Destino]

As obvious as your point is, some folks still miss it. (Not a shot at anyone here.)

I'm not sure the point is valid, much less obvious. Sports, especially pro sports, have been all about money for a long time and while American sports haven't adopted sponsors on jersey's they did embrace the "TV Timeout" which literally interrupts the game for commercials. A patch is less intrusive than that.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Advertising has gone completely crazy in this country. The "Over Saturization" of commercials and advertising is....I just can't even think of a word for it. Just watching a sporting event is enough to give me a headache. Watch baseball, there is a rolling board behind the catcher, ads on the pads near the dugout, ads all over the stadium facades, wall, etc. Watch NASCAR and they give you an in-car camera and ads are plastered all over the inside of the car or one next to the shock absorber when they show a camera on the wheel. Hockey has them plastered all over the boards and now the ice is getting "mucked" up with so many ads, you can't see the lines.

I just hate the idea of ads on the jerseys. Take the WNBA or Soccer. You can't even see the team name on the jersey's anymore. Why would I buy a jersey that says Volkswagon across it or Cigna Health Care instead of my team's name. I know it's coming in the NFL and when it does, that will be the last jersey that I buy.

You complain about this country, but I feel like this country is just now embracing this (meaning we've held out the longest). Look at the most popular sport/league in the world: English Premier League and you'll find huge advertisements on the uniforms. Couldn't you could make the argument that the more you see ads around stadiums and on uniforms, the less you'd need to break for commercials?

[MLSKINS]

Couldn't you could make the argument that the more you see ads around stadiums and on uniforms, the less you'd need to break for commercials?
That makes sense. That is why I think we won't see ads on the NFL jerseys during games. That is unless they want to be greedy and get as much money as they can

[Destino]

You complain about this country, but I feel like this country is just now embracing this (meaning we've held out the longest). Look at the most popular sport/league in the world: English Premier League and you'll find huge advertisements on the uniforms. Couldn't you could make the argument that the more you see ads around stadiums and on uniforms, the less you'd need to break for commercials?

I would much prefer if they went the soccer route and added sponsors to the uniforms and removed commercial breaks entirely. A sponsor on a shirt is far less intrusive on a sport than the need to constantly break for commercials. Having said that you know they aren't going to do that. They'll have sponsor patches AND commercial breaks.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'll be honest.. I recognize the fact behind your words...
My problem with the NBA isn't this.. it's that the championship isn't even over a week before they draft, then fre agency happens, within a month they're training, and back again in 3 months... so half the league can make the playoffs that last 4 months.

It never ends. It's the eternal commercial.
I don't know how anyone can get excited over it.. the champs can't even be champs before it all starts back up.

~Bang

Agree with Major Harris's post. The NBA is just trying to find a way to make themselves an all year event like the NFL has done. The problem is the NBA sucks in comparison so it just becomes an annoyance. Football is king in this country and the NBA foolishly somehow thinks that they are, too.


I agree. When you think about it, all of soccer and the WNBA already have them. Its just a matter of time before the NFL and MLB do the same.

I respectfully disagree, I don't think the NFL and MLB would ever let this happen. The MLB is so steeped in tradition, I can't imagine a team like the Yankees or Sox allowing their timeless, classic uniforms be tarnished with a Pep Boys patch on the shoulder. Plus MLB is so slow to accept change, they begrudgingly allowed instant replay and won't allow a computer to call balls and strikes. IMO, they'd never allow companies on jerseys.

Same with the NFL, I can't imagine a Packers, Bears or Skins jersey with some stupid logo on it. I'm pretty selective on the jerseys I buy...and when I get one, it's for the team and the player, not for some company I don't care about. I wouldn't get an RG3 jersey if it had a McDonald's logo on it...and I like McDonald's. Just not on a football jersey.

[skinswillwin06]

You complain about this country, but I feel like this country is just now embracing this (meaning we've held out the longest). Look at the most popular sport/league in the world: English Premier League and you'll find huge advertisements on the uniforms. Couldn't you could make the argument that the more you see ads around stadiums and on uniforms, the less you'd need to break for commercials?

No, because in the first case it's the team/league making money, and in the second case it is the broadcaster making money.

[MattFancy]

I respectfully disagree, I don't think the NFL and MLB would ever let this happen. The MLB is so steeped in tradition, I can't imagine a team like the Yankees or Sox allowing their timeless, classic uniforms be tarnished with a Pep Boys patch on the shoulder. Plus MLB is so slow to accept change, they begrudgingly allowed instant replay and won't allow a computer to call balls and strikes. IMO, they'd never allow companies on jerseys.

Same with the NFL, I can't imagine a Packers, Bears or Skins jersey with some stupid logo on it. I'm pretty selective on the jerseys I buy...and when I get one, it's for the team and the player, not for some company I don't care about. I wouldn't get an RG3 jersey if it had a McDonald's logo on it...and I like McDonald's. Just not on a football jersey.

I can buy the MLB not doing it. But the NFL already lets teams put patches on practice jerseys.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I can buy the MLB not doing it. But the NFL already lets teams put patches on practice jerseys.

True, but I don't think they'd go as far to let them on the real thing.

It's funny, I can see teams like the Panthers, Jags and Bucs with patches....their colors look like they belong in a Victorias Secret catalog instead of a football uniform. But on a classic teams jersey, no way.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

No, because in the first case it's the team/league making money, and in the second case it is the broadcaster making money.

How often do they break for commercials during telecasts of EPL soccer?

[Spaceman Spiff]

How often do they break for commercials during telecasts of EPL soccer?

They don't...because they can't. The game itself doesn't lend itself to commercial breaks.

[deejaydana]

So NBA players are now going to resemble NASCAR vehicles? I guess the NBA really doesn't do as well as the NFL and MLB.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

They don't...because they can't. The game itself doesn't lend itself to commercial breaks.

Right...but they somehow get by and make money off of ads. Football doesn't really lend itself to 3 minute breaks every possession either. That's been built in to accommodate commercials. There's no law that after a punt we have to take a long break. You could snap the ball 20 seconds after the returner is tackled in theory. I would bet the ads around the stadiums and on jerseys are somehow funneled to the networks airing the games.

Spinning that forward. If the NBA or NFL ever decided to do something at the league level (every team wears a patch and every end zone has a corner painted, etc.) then they could make and split the money that way, couldn't they?

[Warhead36]

Soccer teams have to wear ads on their uniforms because their games basically have no commercial break(other then ~15 minutes for halftime and some of that is consumed by halftime shows/analysis/recap stuff).

NBA doesn't have to, but not surprised that they went this way. The power of the almighty dollar...

[skinswillwin06]

They don't...because they can't. The game itself doesn't lend itself to commercial breaks.

A few years ago, ESPN tried to do side by side ads with the game continuing to be shown with no sound and ads being shown on the other half of the screen. I guess they got too many complaints and ended up stopping that. I think they might still do it on some auto races.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Soccer teams have to wear ads on their uniforms because their games basically have no commercial break(other then ~15 minutes for halftime and some of that is consumed by halftime shows/analysis/recap stuff).

NBA doesn't have to, but not surprised that they went this way. The power of the almighty dollar...

But again...you don't HAVE to have TV timeouts every 4 minutes. You could play an NBA game and only break for commercials when a team actually calls a strategic time out and between quarters.

[Boss_Hogg]

Don't give a crap about the NBA, however I hope this does not create a domino effect for MLB and the NFL.

[China]

An article from last year:

How long can NFL resist $230M from ads on jerseys? (http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/double_coverage_zbY3Ygm8DJXcD3EF7F661M#ixzz21BjNtH Ja)

In as little as three years, experts predict the NFL will come down with a case of NASCAR-itis and finally turn players into bill boards.

More than $230 million in advertising money is up for grabs if teams let sponsors buy space on NFL jerseys, according to a recent study by media analysts Horizon Media.

"Within a three-to five-year period, I would be very surprised if one of the leagues wasn't sampling [logos on jerseys] on a large-scale effort," says Horizon managing partner Michael A. Neuman.

The lure of that kind of money is especially strong now -- as the Players' Union is expected to demand a bigger share of league revenues when negotiations over a new labor agreement begin this spring.

The prospect of allowing NFL jerseys to be used for advertising has been kicking around for a number of years. Ads on uniforms have been standard in the European soccer leagues for years.

But to sell space on major, league sport uniforms would be a first in the US and league execs recognize that the howl from fans, at least at first, would likely be substantial.

"We are often approached by companies that want to put their logo on NFL jerseys -- the most valuable real estate in sports," an NFL spokesperson says, "but we have no plans to do so."

Nevertheless, the sanctity of uniforms seems now to extend only to game day.

Over the last three years, several NFL teams have sported patch logos -- for companies including AT&T, Gillette, Sanyo and the University of Phoenix -- on practice uniforms.

Click on the link for the full article

It's probably inevitable, based on the greed of the NFL owners and the ever increasing salaries of the players. I hope not, but I don't have high expectations that they will keep ads of the uniforms for much longer.

[Rocky21]

I'm not sure the point is valid, much less obvious. Sports, especially pro sports, have been all about money for a long time and while American sports haven't adopted sponsors on jersey's they did embrace the "TV Timeout" which literally interrupts the game for commercials. A patch is less intrusive than that.I've been to Dan Snyder's Fed Ex Field so I am more than familiar with crass commercialization of sports. :) I just don't like emphasizing advertising revenue over the sport itself. That was my point, if I failed to make it earlier.

[Bang]

The NBA playoffs are exciting enough IMO. They could be tinkered with, but there is too much randomness in a single game to have a satisfying finale in single or double elimination. This system goes a long way towards sorting out who the best teams truly are. Playoffs are the second season. It's where legacies are made.

Mediocre like Eli Manning having two rings doesn't happen in the NBA. There is something to be said for that.

I won't argue that they do sort down to the best teams.. there's no way to fluke thru that many long series.
But they take so damn long to do it, and frankly, Cinderella is a fun part of sports. It takes something away to eliminate so entirely. I get the purity of the champion after the long filtration, but.. everyone likes the underdog. (Look how many redskins fans rooted for the giants to win the Super Bowl to shut the Pats up!)

I can definitely see the NFL doing this. And everyone else. It's too much money to ignore.
And then collectors will be looking for authentic jerseys with the Castrol logo on it as opposed to the second edition with the Coors Light logo.
It can be done tastefully. One sponsor per team, nothing bigger than those commemoration patches they use.

~Bang

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

This has always been inevitable.

---------- Post added July-20th-2012 at 04:04 PM ----------


I hope this does not create a domino effect for MLB and the NFL.

MLB already has ads on the screen every second of every game with that digital billboard behind home plate.

[Destino]

MLB already has ads on the screen every second of every game with that digital billboard behind home plate.
That's entirely in line with baseball's proud tradition. Sponsors on the fancy pajamas however? NEVER!

[Boss_Hogg]

This has always been inevitable.

---------- Post added July-20th-2012 at 04:04 PM ----------



MLB already has ads on the screen every second of every game with that digital billboard behind home plate.

I'm cool with that. I just don't want McDonalds or Walmart stitched all over RG3 or Ryan Zimmerman's jersey.

[stevemcqueen1]

They don't...because they can't. The game itself doesn't lend itself to commercial breaks.

Did any of the other sports until they invented the TV Timeout?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Did any of the other sports until they invented the TV Timeout?

No, but baseball has pitching changes and breaks between half innings. Football has timeouts, so does basketball. None of those sports compare to soccer, where it is non-stop for 45 minutes at a time. Hell, even the clock keeps running in soccer when the balls out of bounds and they're doing a throw in.

[TheDoyler23]

No, but baseball has pitching changes and breaks between half innings.

And sponsors for each inning. The seventh inning is brought to you by Jack Daniels #7 Whiskey. Jack Daniels reminds you to please drink............ .................
................



responsibly!

(good old Gary Thorne!)

[Spaceman Spiff]

And sponsors for each inning. The seventh inning is brought to you by Jack Daniels #7 Whiskey. Jack Daniels reminds you to please drink............ .................
................



responsibly!

(good old Gary Thorne!)

Haha, love it when Thorne does that!

[DieselPwr44]

Sneak peek at what's to come....

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s6PgzIx8dyg/T1eYNgCRFII/AAAAAAAADug/QBVta65eFfU/s1600/120306060425722785.jpg

[sjinhan]

You know at least in soccer.. They have the ads on the uniforms but they don't take commercial breaks. I would be more than wiling to trade commercial breaks with embedded/placement ads.


In fact this is what they should on all tv shows as less and less people watch commercials live. Tthey should just replace it with placement ads and get rid of all commerical breaks altogether except between shows.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

It's not the only sport I wouldn't wear a jersey in, but it's the one I would look like the biggest tool in. Grown men just shouldn't wear jerseys unless they're players. I look absolutely ridiculous in football jerseys too. Girls can get away with it though.
this has been my stance too.

Im a grown man, why would I wear another man's name on my back. Especially someone younger :ols:

---------- Post added July-21st-2012 at 12:22 PM ----------

as for the advertising? This was discussed a few years ago, so I knew it was inevitable.

Its going to happen in other sports too. I wouldnt have an issue if this would limit actual 30 second commercials, but it wont.

---------- Post added July-21st-2012 at 12:23 PM ----------


:ols:
As if this sport could not be more over-exposed...

The NBA.. the neverending commercial.

~Bang
the NFL isnt a neverending commercial?

[pjfootballer]

You complain about this country, but I feel like this country is just now embracing this (meaning we've held out the longest). Look at the most popular sport/league in the world: English Premier League and you'll find huge advertisements on the uniforms. Couldn't you could make the argument that the more you see ads around stadiums and on uniforms, the less you'd need to break for commercials?

I've really never been one to complain about he length of games. It really doesn't bother me how long they are. Hockey and basketball are around 2 1/2 hrs, football averages about 3 1/2 hrs and baseball is generally 3 hours. I've come to expect that and with so many choices (NFL sunday ticket for example and most of the time more than 1 game of any sport is on other channels) I don't even watch many commercials.

---------- Post added July-23rd-2012 at 08:33 AM ----------


I would much prefer if they went the soccer route and added sponsors to the uniforms and removed commercial breaks entirely. A sponsor on a shirt is far less intrusive on a sport than the need to constantly break for commercials. Having said that you know they aren't going to do that. They'll have sponsor patches AND commercial breaks.

And patches only add one sponsor to the uniform. The NFL and other American sports have multiple sponsors that pay for time in order for the networks to pay the TV rights.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I've really never been one to complain about he length of games. It really doesn't bother me how long they are. Hockey and basketball are around 2 1/2 hrs, football averages about 3 1/2 hrs and baseball is generally 3 hours. I've come to expect that and with so many choices (NFL sunday ticket for example and most of the time more than 1 game of any sport is on other channels) I don't even watch many commercials.

I actually agree with you. When I settle in for a Sunday of football, I actually like the "football" aspect to take as long as possible. But, I know that there are plenty of people who complain about the length of games and I see on-field/on-uniform ads as a way to justify fewer commercial breaks.

[mjah]

I will be very sad when the day comes that NFL players resemble Philadelphia's highways.

Or perhaps more accurately, Breezewood PA.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6oAdzRLLTfY/TDxR_wdZOoI/AAAAAAAAEvs/16ff4YrBoa8/s1600/burtynsky_breezewood_pennsylvania_lg.jpg

[MLSKINS]

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/600033_10151026516048643_915749089_n.jpg

[pjfootballer]

That's pretty good MLSKINS. I'd love to see parodies of more.

[MLSKINS]

:ols: I got that off of NBA on ESPN's facebook page.