Categories: What's New

NBA approves sponsor patch on shooting shirtson December 23, 2021 at 4:09 pm

9:45 AM ET

The NBA’s board of governors has approved an additional sponsorship patch for team uniform sets for the 2021-22 season, with the upcoming shooting shirt patch program allowing teams to include sponsor patches on both team shooting shirts and warm-up jackets.

Teams can add an existing jersey patch program partner’s logo to their shooting shirts or look to begin negotiations with a new marketing partner for their warm-ups.

Any new agreements will have to be reviewed and approved by the league, making an early 2022 debut on apparel more likely. If a team opts not to add a sponsor for its shooting shirt or warm-up jacket, it could instead place a team initiative slogan there.

The new patch will be 3 inches by 3 inches and be located either on the currently blank right sleeve, opposite the NBA’s 75th diamond logo, or on the left chest, adjacent to the existing team logo location.

NBA teams may add a sponsor’s logo to the right sleeve of warmup tops in the coming weeks. Getty Images

The newly approved shooting shirt patch program is an extension of the league’s jersey patch program began in 2017-18. That program allowed for the addition of a 2.6876-inch by 3.25-inch sponsor patch to the front shoulder of each team’s uniform.

By April 2019, the board of governors approved an indefinite extension of the jersey patch program, extending beyond the pilot program’s initial three-year trial. Before last season, the league also approved the addition of a sponsor’s logo across the front lower half of team practice uniforms.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth from this asset of revenue and the caliber of brands, both domestic and global, that are partnering with our teams,” said Amy Brooks, NBA president of team marketing and business operations and chief innovation officer.

This season, 28 of the league’s 30 teams feature a jersey patch on the shoulder of their uniforms, with only Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies not yet having one.

The program has generated $5 million to $10 million in additional revenue for some teams each season, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors each generating $20 million per year for their respective deals with Bibigo and Rakuten.

“It’s been a success,” Brooks said. “Revenue not being the only metric to this, a big reason why we launched [the uniform patch program] is because the NBA is a global brand, many of our partners are global brands, and we felt like this was an opportunity to grow both the NBA and our partners’ brands and businesses globally.”