Cameron LewisIt looks like the NHL is one step closer to having advertisements featured on jerseys. While Commissioner Gary Bettman hasn’t confirmed it yet, league sponsors have said they fully expect uniforms for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey to feature advertising. Aside from that NHL officials suggested in September that having advertisements on jerseys could generate $120 million in league revenue.
While all of the four major sports leagues in North America have mulled over the possibility of jersey advertisements, they have all expressed skepticism over being the first ones to do so. With the NHL using the World Cup as a pilot project, it’s pretty clear that the NHL has embraced the idea of being the first ones to smash through the wall of jersey advertisements. I mean, there’s so much money to be made. Can you really blame them?
For example, Chevrolet pays Manchester United $80 million dollars to have their logo sported on the middle of their kit. Fly Emirates pays Arsenal £30 million for jersey and stadium rights. It’ll be kind of distrubing to see Emirates or Rogers on a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey, but this is the type of venture that the league can’t ignore. Obviously the NHL doesn’t have the viewership numbers that European soccer leagues do, but I’m sure that Rogers would shell out a ton of money on this opportunity.
Here are some concepts we thought looked cool — or inevitable.
