Jerseys and uniforms are undoubtedly one of the most sacred aspects of sports. Representation is a huge part of sports, and fans often regard team logos with the utmost respect. It’s an incredible honor for athletes to wear their last names and team logos during games and practices. But, soon, a player’s name and number won’t be the only thing occupying a jersey. Major professional sports leagues in the U.S. are planning to allow jersey sponsorships in the near future.
In Europe, it’s almost impossible to find a team uniform that doesn’t have advertisements plastered all over the place. Major league soccer teams across Europe are notorious for this practice, and more and more European players are starting to look more like walking advertisements than athletes. But, now, Europe won’t be alone in using athletes to make even more money in the sports industry; league executives want to bring this trend to the U.S.
Jersey sponsorships are typically used as a way to create a little extra revenue for minor or junior league sports. The extra money earned from jersey sponsorships goes to paying staff and keeping the club functioning. Minor league teams in Europe have used jersey sponsorships to regularly fund teams since the ‘70s. However, the same can’t be said for major sports leagues. Professional sports teams in the U.S. make more than enough money to keep up with their expenses. According to FOX Sports, the average annual profit for each NFL franchise is $286 million. With large sums of money coming to each team annually, there’s definitely no lack of funding for professional sports in the U.S.
Additionally, athletes would receive no extra compensation for advertising at every game and team event; every penny earned would go straight into the pockets of league officials and team owners. Jersey advertisements are sold the same way that television, radio or field advertisements are sold. The revenue from these advertisements goes straight back to the league, and the revenue form jersey advertisements will likely do the same.
According to ESPN, Kia, the official car sponsor of the NBA, was allowed to put their name and logo on the jerseys for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. But this wasn’t the first time the NBA put advertisements on their uniforms. In 2015, Sprite was the official sponsor of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and had small patches placed on the uniforms that read “Sprite Slam Dunk” to represent the partnership. The NBA is still testing the waters with advertisements on jerseys to gauge fan reaction. If there is minimal backlash from fans, the NBA hopes to adorn their players with advertisements within the next five years, according to an ESPN interview with league commissioner Adam Silver.
But one little patch featuring a company’s name or logo may quickly become a dozen patches, turning athletes into walking billboards. The Women’s National Basketball Association’s jersey sponsorship program is a perfect example of exploitation of athletes for advertising. The advertisements featured on the women’s jerseys are massive and take up most of the space of the jersey, leaving the team’s actual logo almost impossible to see. The league began allowing corporate logos on jerseys in 2009, and the league’s jersey sponsorship deals have only grown from there, according to ESPN.
Professional sports leagues certainly don’t need the extra money to fund the teams and shouldn’t further exploit athletes in order to line the pockets of league officials. Keep the tradition of the jersey sacred, and keep the athletes from becoming ad space.
