Cavaliers add Goodyear Wingfoot logo to jersey
By Brian Gosa
The Cleveland Cavaliers agree to jersey sponsorship deal with the Goodyear Company for the 2018 season.
The relationship between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company just got a bit sweeter. According to a report from Bloomberg, the two highly recognized Ohio brands have agreed to a jersey advertising deal starting with the 2017-18 season as part of a three-year pilot program approved by the NBA Board of Governors.
Next year, a 2.5 x 2.5 inch patch featuring the Goodyear Wingfoot logo will become a permanent part of the jersey, making each Cavalier’s uniform prime advertising real estate for the company that also provides the official tire for NASCAR.
The agreement with Goodyear, which was founded in LeBron James’s hometown of Akron, OH, links the Cavs to five other NBA teams with sponsorship deals of this type, including Philadelphia, Sacramento, Boston, Brooklyn, and most recently Utah.
As of right now, the details of the agreement have not been disclosed, but it has been reported that the Cavs and Goodyear will donate $1 million to support STEM programs in the Cleveland and Akron public schools.
For years, the NBA has been slow to entertain jersey advertising, because teams are uncertain of how these sponsorships will affect their market value, and they are equally cautious of conflicts of interest that could exist between the team, other sponsors, and brands endorsed by individual players.
This first wave of sponsored patches signals the NBA’s desire to expand corporate involvement in ways similar to what’s been seen in boxing, soccer, and other global basketball leagues, where company logos are mainstays in uniforms. Based on early evaluations, the league office has hinted that the pilot program could generate close to $100 million in additional revenue.