The NBA will soon allow advertisements on jerseys but according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, the companies eligible for advertisements will be limited.
NBA tells teams it can't sell jersey ad to companies involved with: Alcohol, tobacco, gambling, politics, media company or Nike competitor.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 4, 2016
Rovell also added that the NBA can veto any other possible company.
There are no big surprises here, but a few things do stand out.
Advertisements for plenty of those companies — notably gambling and alcohol — are prevalent at any NBA stadium and during any NBA broadcast.
While we can certainly understand the league’s apprehension, something like a Budweiser or DraftKings logo on a jersey isn’t exactly a far cry from a billboard in the stadium or a 30-second commercial on the broadcast.
It’s natural to wonder how long those bans will last. Best guess is that some of these restrictions will start to be lifted if the NBA’s 30 teams are having a hard time getting sponsors. At the moment, that wouldn’t seem terribly likely, given how many options remain.
Even with the restrictions, there are still plenty of options for teams to rely on. Basically, the same kind of companies that lend title sponsorship stadium and arena names will all certainly be in play, assuming they’re not otherwise disqualified.
It will be interesting to see what companies come into play and where the ads end up going on the jerseys.