Report: Ads are coming to NHL jerseys

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T. Tadi
June 21, 2021 (5:02 PM)

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On-jersey marketing might be available to NHL teams as early as next season, according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic.

When questioned about advertisements on jerseys, one NHL official told Shapiro last week, "I would think that's the logical next step."

When it came to placing advertisements on jerseys or player equipment in the past, the NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman were adamant. However, due to a financial shortfall caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the league had to get creative with money, which led to the introduction of helmet commercials this season. The league now appears to be focusing on shirt advertisements.

«I can't wait to sell ads on the jerseys,» one team executive told Shapiro. «I'm not supposed to sound that excited about it, but it really is a huge opportunity for us as a sport to start trying to get back to some financial normalcy after 2020.»

Call me a purist or a traditionalist, but I despise this concept. Enough with the television advertisements, the ads on the boards, the ads on the ice, and the live ads spoken out actually DURING the game. When I'm trying to enjoy a hockey game, I don't need any more corporate nonsense rammed down my throat.

Even worse is the prospect of having advertisements placed on NHL jerseys, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has always opposed but is now being considered in light of the league's financial difficulties. When asked about putting advertisements on jerseys in 2017, Bettman stated, "That would take a unique event for us to even consider it." Well, I'd argue that the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020-21 qualify as "exceptional circumstances."

Recently, Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman suggested that the players themselves might be the driving force behind placing advertisements on jerseys as a method to boost revenue during a lean fiscal year.

Check it out:

«If I was a player, I'd be talking about expanded playoffs and ads on jerseys. Bettman has said in the past the number has got to be worth it. Something small in a corner but enough that you know it's there. No more of this it's tradition It's time. « � Elliotte Friedman on 31 Thoughts Podcast

I have to say, if the NHL decides to put advertisements on jerseys, no matter how small or tastefully done, I will never buy another NHL jersey. Call me crazy, but I'm rooting for the team rather than Toyota, Tim Hortons, McDonald's, Bell, Rogers, or any other corporate sponsor.

For the record, the NBA allows minor advertisements on their jerseys, and 19 of the league's 30 clubs have so far worked with sponsors to display adverts on their shirts. The Golden State Warriors, for example, are rumoured to be collecting $60 million to feature this small Rakuten ad on their upper left chest.

Credit: HockeyFeed