NBA Approves On-Court Ads
By Josh Sanchez
Professional sports leagues are a business. Yes, they are there for our entertainment, but most importantly they are there to take our money. With leagues always looking to increase the revenue flow, there are minor changes that take place so that the rich can get richer. One of those ways to bring in more money is to increase ad revenue. NFL teams are doing that with logos on practice uniforms, soccer teams across the world sell ad space on their jerseys, the WNBA does this, and now the NBA will sell on-court ad space in front of the bench area and on top of the back boards.
According to the Sports Business Journal:
"League officials have approved teams selling on-court advertising for the high-profile space in front of team benches as well as the camera-visible areas on top of the backboards.A league source said no specific valuation has been assigned to the new sales areas, but multiyear, multimillion-dollar deals are expected, with teams signing package deals that would provide an advertiser with visibility in both places. One team executive said the deals could range anywhere from mid-six figures to around $2 million annually, acknowledging that the value of the signage will vary widely by market."
This will be a one-year trial run. After next season, the league will revisit the issue and see if it’s something they will permanently use moving forward.
Some people are against increasing ad space and putting advertisements all over the arena, but I see nothing wrong with it. If there is some Black Links Beef Jerkey ads or something reminded me to go back to the liquor cabinet and pour some more Captain Morgan, I am all for it. Don’t think of it as forcing a product in front of your face. Think of it as reminding you about the better things in life.
Who knows, eventually we may see ads make their way to NBA uniforms and we’ll get something like this.
