Should Players Wear Jersey Ads?
Baseball Limits Uniform Advertising to Protect Integrity of the Game
Auto racing drivers cover their uniforms with ads but baseball, football and basketball are holding the line against uniform ads. Is "the integrity of the game at stake?"
Corporations are moving deeper into American sports every day, advertising on everything from uniforms to stadia and arenas, as well as sponsoring broadcast coverage. But don’t expect to see major league baseball players decked out in multiple company logos as auto race drivers are these days.
"We've had a great run at monetizing assets that don't interrupt the integrity of the game," said Jacqueline Parkes, advertising and marketing senior vice president for Major League Baseball (MLB). Baseball was a pioneer in sports advertising, selling ads on outfield fences and score boards decades ago.
But Parkes added that the league is "intent on keeping the integrity of the playing field, everything between the lines, as clean as possible." She made the comments in a recent Brandweek Magazine sports marketing roundtable.
Auto Racing Drivers and Vehicles Covered with Advertising
Aside from the team and player names, Major League Baseball has limited uniform promotions to the MLB logo on the back of caps. Third party promotions on the uniforms are "not in the near future," Parkes said.
However, that future is already here in auto racing and soccer. Drivers may wear a dozen or more logos on their uniforms and helmets, advertising everything from batteries, tires, autos, fuel, oil, and auto parts to Coca Cola, AFLAC and Stetson Hats. Their cars are similarly covered.
Racing power boats also carry multiple ads, as do bicycle racers.
Soccer Allowing Sponsor Names on Player Uniforms
In 2007, Major League Soccer began allowing its American teams to print sponsor names on jerseys, as soccer teams do around the world. Kathy Carter executive vice president of Soccer United Marketing, told the Brandweek roundtable that the jersey names bring "pretty significant dollar figures." She added that "it's really been a game-changer for our clubs. For us, people accept it; it's part of the game."
The Professional Golfers Association (PGA) allows players to wear small sponsor logos on their shirts, caps and golf bags. Tiger Woods even advertises his own brand. However, the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as Major League Baseball, have limited uniforms to player and team names.
Stadia and Arena Names Sold to Top Bidders
Carrying baseball’s outfield fence signs to the next level, many baseball and football stadia and basketball arena names are now sold to the highest corporate bidders. So are names of bowl games, golf tournaments, tennis tournaments and auto races.
Selling the names gets embarrassing when the sponsoring company can no longer afford the sponsorship or gets caught in an Enron-type scandal. The name was removed from Enron Stadium in Houston.
It’s also embarrassing when an athlete like Atlanta Quarterback Michael Vick gets into trouble and sponsors have to cancel contracts and distance themselves from the guilty player.
The Internet is full of blogs complaining about the naming of sports palaces for corporate giants and players being more interested in sponsorships than their performances. But those complaints are no match for the millions of dollars that sponsorships bring to players, facilities and events.
Reference: Brandweek May 7, 2008
