Should the NHL look into having ads on jerseys as a source of revenue during covid?

[HotDish]

No, once adds are on, they won’t go back.

I’m not buying jerseys loaded with adds, unless they lower the price for me wearing that free advertising.

If it's anything like the NBA the jerseys you buy don't have ads on them.

 

[Havre]

Why does it make sense? Would fans get a better product? Not really.

If you pump more money into the league players will get paid more and owners will get paid more. How exactly is that going to change anything?

Almost only if we, the fans, fear that the whole league will collapse would this in my opinion make any sense from our perspective. And even then it would make a lot more sense to adjust how much revenue goes to the players vs. owners. Considering the position the NHL already got you could shave the cap in 2 and still the best players would want to play in NA (or at least close to 2 - before more players would make more in Europe - and choose to play there).

Or if that money is specifically set aside to support "developing" countries. To build rinks in places like Norway, Latvia etc. - expanding the sport.

Not that I care much either way. Jerseys in some of the European league look absolutely ridiculous, but it isn't like it influences my experience of watching games that much. And in the smaller leagues outside of the NHL you need every cent just to keep the league running. It is quite different.

 

[CTHabsfan]

Every logo on a jersey right now is for a corporation lol. They are all businesses advertising their brand.

I've always found it fascinating that people are okay with logos for Adidas, the team, and the NHL. Sometimes there will even be something else, like a Winter Classic patch that people pay extra for.

I've always found it fascinating that people believe this to be a valid argument for placing unrelated corporate ads on jerseys.

 

[The Burdened]

tbh i wonder how lucrative the sponsorship deals would even be at this time given that a lot of these potential companies have struggles themselves

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

As a old Canadian hockey fan I can assure you that a lot of deep fans who grew up playing and have the game deep in their heart will have a line the league better not cross. For many unrelated ads on jerseys is one.

It won't be a dramatic Twitter like eruption more like a loss of interest and a reorientation of priorities and interests. It will also be taken as a betrayal and an insult and many will quietly boycott the actual advertisers.

The league knows this and it's up to them how far they push it. The extra few million may come in for that year when they do it, but the damage will be deep and long lasting with many.

 

[Jedub]

I buy a jersey every year and I would never buy one again if they put ads on them, even if I could buy an ad-free one.

 

[Bondurant]

If it's anything like the NBA the jerseys you buy don't have ads on them.

Once the money rolls in what is to keep them from looking like European hockey jerseys? It would be even worse if the jerseys sold to fans had ads on them. Even if minimal like NBA. Guaranteed I would never buy another.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

I've always found it fascinating that people are okay with logos for Adidas, the team, and the NHL. Sometimes there will even be something else, like a Winter Classic patch that people pay extra for.

The placement of the Reebok and Adidas logos high on the back are very close to the line, and they really should go back to the hem.

The NHL needs to hear it loud and clear - any non related ads are going to backfire. Hard.

Winter Classic and similar patches are event commemorations. Same with honours for individuals (i.e. MR I). They are OK.

 

[Yog S'loth]

I would rather have no hockey at all than jerseys with ads on them.

 

[overlords]

nope

 

[qwerty]

I feel like if it’s tastefully done, it’ll work just fine. The NBA does it and it’s hardly noticeable to me. NHL jerseys have even more surface area, so it’ll probably be less glaring.

With how much both sides bicker about money, more revenue would help this cause. The NBA earns $150M off jersey ads, so I really can’t believe they don’t do it already.

 

[FMichael]

Adidas/CCM/etc. logos on the jerseys are fine as they made the jersey while the team and the league are who the jersey was made for. Huge difference between branding a product with the user and manufacturer's logos and adding completely unrelated logos for fast food, energy drinks, or frozen pizza. The former creates a relevant aesthetic while the latter is just selling space for corporate marketing.

I for some strange reason always liked the team color coordinated CCM logo on the jerseys back then.

 

[golfortennis]

There was a discussion on another board about golf, and how the PGA Tour and European Tour have formed an "alliance." A number of us think it's a first step toward a PGA Tour takeover, because the European Tour has much smaller purses and needs the money. The discussion about purse size came up, and there were questions about the taxes (tournaments etc., and the tour itself are 501(c)XX organizations). I also posed the question as to whether part of the reason there is a lot more golf sponsorship here is due to the fact in Europe, a company can put its logo on soccer uniforms in a big way.

Does RBC sponsor 2 golf tournaments to the tune of $10 million each per year, and a group of players, if they could put their logo on the Maple Leafs' sweater instead? Putting aside the feelings of logos or not on a sweater, I have to believe that is some massively valuable real estate. What would that be worth? Someone asked if there would actually be sponsors lining up or would it be cannibalizing from other sponsorships. I think, in Canada for certain, and depending on the US market, it won't be sponsorships with the NHL team that lose out. I think it will be other things.

I'm not saying they should or shouldn't do it, but anyone who thinks there isn't massive money on the table for it is a dreamer, IMHO. It would come at a cost, I agree, and whether that cost is worth it is a valid question.

 

[TheLegend]

Patrick Johnston: The time may be here for NHL to consider ads on sweaters


Patrick Johnston: The time may be here for NHL to consider ads on sweaters | The Province

 

[TGWL]

If this were to happen I'll just keep my $$$, and not spend it on a few alternate jerseys.

The idea is that they would make more money from sponsors, not from you buying the jersey.

 

[hacksaw7]

To me the jerseys are sacred. Yes it would be extra revenue but it also cheapens and makes things very very ugly. Look at how pathetic the trash NBA looks now with this (among many other things they've messed up...)

I pray this never happens.

 

[hacksaw7]

What a hideous eyesore

 

[BOS358]

The idea is that they would make more money from sponsors, not from you buying the jersey.

So why stop there? Think about the Ottawa ScotiaBank Senators, Toronto RBC Maple Leafs, Vegas MGM Resorts Golden Knights, Boston Scientific Bruins, New York Life Rangers...

Any revenue from selling the naming rights to the teams will more than make up lost ticket, merchandise, and TV revenue.

 

[hacksaw7]

fwiw the reverse retro gimmick is essentially just another method to do this.

though I have to admit I do love some of them

 

[jetsv2]

If ads get put onto the jerseys to get extra revenue because of covid, they wont be coming off after this is all over. They will be permanent.

 

[CTHabsfan]

If ads get put onto the jerseys to get extra revenue because of covid, they wont be coming off after this is all over. They will be permanent.

Correct! For those who argue, 'Who cares about a small ad you barely notice', ads on jerseys would eventually increase in size and number.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

The potential advertizers need to hear this...

I and probably a lot.of deep history NHL fans will ACTIVELY do our best to avoid and boycott your product if it is on an NHL jersey.

This is a line they do not want to cross.

 

[BOS358]

Now for the fun part: Finding companies to fork over the millions of dollars for a spot on the team's uniforms. Paul Lukas (Uni Watch) interviewed two CEO's whose companies were approached by NBA teams to advertise on uniforms. One had mentioned that it's about 2-to-5-times more expensive to get a spot on one team's uniform than it is to be the "official [fill in the blank] of the NBA." The other simply claimed that there were cheaper, and possibly more effective, ways to getting their brand out there.

Think about that for a second. Chase Bank has a massive relationship with Madison Square Garden, but passed on putting their logo on the Knicks' jerseys. What is the value to the company that's spending all this advertising money, especially when they're also taking a hit financially?

 

[golfortennis]

Now for the fun part: Finding companies to fork over the millions of dollars for a spot on the team's uniforms. Paul Lukas (Uni Watch) interviewed two CEO's whose companies were approached by NBA teams to advertise on uniforms. One had mentioned that it's about 2-to-5-times more expensive to get a spot on one team's uniform than it is to be the "official [fill in the blank] of the NBA." The other simply claimed that there were cheaper, and possibly more effective, ways to getting their brand out there.

Think about that for a second. Chase Bank has a massive relationship with Madison Square Garden, but passed on putting their logo on the Knicks' jerseys. What is the value to the company that's spending all this advertising money, especially when they're also taking a hit financially?

So that's an interesting point. Has anyone ever been able to quantify what "official (product) of the (insert league)" is worth? I would think it is a higher value thing to have a spot on a uniform. It's sort of like in the 80s when shoe wars were new, having your shoe on the cover of SI(as part of a pic from a game) was worth a huge amount of advertising. Being on a jersey would put you on camera every time they come anywhere close to a player.

As I said earlier, I think there will be a market for ads on jerseys at the value, but I think the money will have to come from other marketing efforts that companies do. ie., golf tournaments, or the like.

Still think they will need to look at giving the major space out front to really get companies interested. A small patch, to me, is like being a second, or later, company with naming rights on a stadium/arena. Sure you get some exposure, but nobody really calls it that. Ask ten people where the Leafs call home, guarantee 8 of ten say ACC. A small patch is similar. Yeah they have a company, but is it this one, or that? Need a big logo to really make your point, IMHO.

ETA: That looks to be a great site. Thanks for the links.

 

[BOS358]

As I said earlier, I think there will be a market for ads on jerseys at the value, but I think the money will have to come from other marketing efforts that companies do. ie., golf tournaments, or the like.

While I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, I don't think the market for it is all that large. If the teams are approaching advertisers, it sounds like the demand* is greater than the supply.

Ask ten people where the Leafs call home, guarantee 8 of ten say ACC. A small patch is similar. Yeah they have a company, but is it this one, or that?

I was going to use the Raptors (I know they play in the same building as the Leafs,) only to find out that they play at the Scotiabank Arena...I just found out a few minutes before writing this that the name changed. I would originally have said that people know they play at the Air Canada Centre but have no idea who has their patch on the Raptors' jerseys.

It makes you wonder about the value of naming rights. After all, it cost a pretty penny to rename the Willis Tower. Many people reading this might have heard of it, just not with that name.

*People can feel free to correct me here. It seems like the teams are the "demand" side, soliciting the corporate sponsors, with the advertisers being the "supply" side, but it's a bit strange to me, as usually, the demand side throws down the money for the product/ service, not the other way around. The whole thing seems backwards.