The NBA opened the way to more dollars by allowing corporations to advertise on team jerseys, starting from the 2017-2018 season, according to a Reuters report.
The advertisement patches, which will be placed on the front-left of the jersey, are a part of a three-year pilot program, and the NBA is the first men’s sports organization in North America to allow corporate patching.
The NBA first broke it’s ‘ad-free’ tradition during the 2016 All-Star game, placing a 3 inch by 1 inch KIA Motors America patch on the front-left chest area of the jerseys—and announcing they'd add the patch again during the 2017 All-Star game.
NASCAR, National Football League Europa, Women’s National Basketball Association, and soccer uniforms are allowed to be marked by advertisements, but the four major North American men’s sports (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey) had previously banned corporate logos on jerseys.
Logos on helmets and arm patches have been used during World Baseball Classic games and games outside the United States and Canada. The National Hockey League has been able to put corporate sponsorships on practice jerseys, but not game jerseys.
