Advertising on uniforms ‘inevitable,’ MLB says

For something that takes up only 6.25 square inches of uniform space, the advertising patches now worn by all 30 NBA teams have had a sizable impact on their bottom lines.

Depending on the team, the 2.5-by-2.5-inch patches bring in between US$5 million and US$20 million annually, and one estimate has that yearly haul rising 20 per cent to 30 per cent when the next round of deals is banged out starting in a few years.

Major League Baseball officials appear to have noticed this windfall because, according to a story by Sports Business Journal’s Terry Lefton, similar advertising likely will be a uniform feature soon.

“We’re examining the patch, but clearly we have things to work through first,” Noah Garden, MLB executive vice-president of business and sales, told Lefton. “I’d say it’s inevitable down the road, but certainly not immediate. This is something that requires a fairly long runway. There are lots of things to take into consideration, but I think we will get there.”

There are numerous reasons for that lag time, and they’re similar to what the NBA dealt with ahead of the 2017-18 season, when the patches were unveiled.

First and foremost is determining how much that piece of fabric will be worth. Kyle Folts, vice-president of insights for Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment, told Lefton the average baseball team could get $6 million to $8 million per year, with high-profile teams like the Yankees getting more.

The Golden State Warriors top the NBA list, getting $20 million.

MLB players must approve the patches in a new collective bargaining agreement, which won’t take effect until after the 2021 season.