Sports uniform sponsorships—what brands should know

When a brand strikes a uniform patch sponsorship, it is engaging in one of the most intimate ad relationships in sports. It’s about as close as a brand can get to athletes—and when done wrong, it can backfire. “You see little to no success with organizations that come out and position [uniform brand sponsorships] as slapping your logo on a uniform,” said Jason Miller, head of properties for Excel Sports, speaking on the most recent episode of Ad Age’s Marketer’s Brief podcast. “It really has to be a symbol of you being… the most closely connected organization to that team, to that brand, to that property, and to that fan base.” Miller and his team have guided more than a dozen uniform patch deals in recent years, including the MLS’s Chicago Fire (Carvana), the Boston Celtics (GE and now VistaPrint) and the Philadelphia Phillies (Independence Blue Cross, or IBX). As leagues continue to open up their uniforms as advertising mediums, teams have found they are the most lucrative spaces they have to sell, outstripping even stadium naming rights, Miller said. That’s in part because uniform advertising is the only type of sponsorship that goes with players on the road, Miller said. Also read: Sports CMOs are turning teams into lifestyle brands The Athletic recently reported that patch deals for the Yankees (Starr Insurance) and Blue Jays (TD Bank) were in the low-to-mid $20 million range, with the MLB average at $7 to $8 million per year. See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here Aligning brands and teams is no exact science, Miller said. Teams generally would prefer new brands to existing partners, and while many teams strike in-market deals, the growing international appeal of the NBA is reflected in the Los Angeles Lakers’ deal with Korean food company Bibigo, which is reportedly worth $100 million over five years. Brands have also used sports uniform ads for different purposes. For Aura, the NBA deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves was a massive awareness play; IBX benefits from the community focus its partnership signifies, Miller said. Lakers 🤝 @bibigoUSAWe’re proud to introduce our new patch partner and first ever global marketing partner. pic.twitter.com/xwxUPQOgtV— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 21, 2021 The NBA led the way in on-uniform ads starting in the 2017-2018 season. The NHL added ad decals on player helmets in the 2021-2022 season, then approved jersey patches starting in 2022-2023. Major League Baseball allowed uniform patches for the first time in 2023 and more recently rolled out leaguewide helmet sponsored logos for the postseason, inking a deal with European workwear brand Strauss. Helmet ads in baseball have officially arrived.Major League Baseball has signed a deal with STRAUSS, placing the German company's logo on all MLB helmets (during the postseason) and all minor league helmets (during the regular season and postseason).This is so, so bad. pic.twitter.com/lwifNkRyCd— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 13, 2024 The practice is still looked upon suspiciously by fans, who rarely welcome them warmly. “I understand where the fans are coming from, but at the same time in European football, this is something that has been a part of that ecosystem since before you and I were born,” said Miller. Although some organizations have had “big eyes” for the payday these partnerships represent, Miller foresees competition ahead as college sports get more involved in the sponsorship game. When smaller market pro teams “start competing against Duke basketball and UNC basketball, you’re bringing in so much more opportunity and that can ultimately lose demand, and pricing goes down, which is a good thing for brands, but a bad thing for fans that don’t want to see it,” Miller said. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Sports uniform sponsorships—what brands should know

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