Change Over Tradition - Nike x MLB 2020 Jerseys

Image via Nike

Can the slightest change make the most significant difference? The 2020 season marks the first on-field example of Nike's partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) being its official uniform provider. Announced in January, Nike is replacing Majestic as the in-game supplier and today unveiled the home jersey for every MLB team with a nice swoosh on the chest.

Image via Nike

While some pure and long-time MLB fans have objected to the change, many do not seem bothered by the new look of the traditional pastime. Many sports leagues have adapted and embraced the idea of placing logos on their uniforms. The NBA has generated more than $150 million with its patch program since its creation in 2017. Sports leagues are finding that they have to adapt to the changes within the market to stay relevant and keep fans attention during live games and as fans watch remotely.

Hal Melhart, Sr. Product Line Manager for Nike Diamond, seems confident in Nike's ability to maintain the purity of the sports. Melhart states, "we're excited to kick off our partnership with Major League Baseball with the unveiling of next season's uniforms... Each franchise has a deeply personal history, with a visual identity that continues in this update. In the future, we look forward to preserving this integrity while still bringing more of Nike's creativity to uniform designs, as we build energy around the game for its players and its fans."

From My Perspective

Nike has always strived to push the button on design and innovation. With its agreement with MLB and Fanatics, I do not doubt that Nike may bring new technology and innovative marketing to the MLB to better engage long-time and new baseball fans, similar to their innovation with the NBA and NikeConnect jerseys. I see a lot of potential for all parties involved, as long as the MLB continues to adapt and change with the market.

Image via Nike

Sources: Nike | CBS Sports | Sports Business Journal

Cupcakes, Peanut Butter, and Jelly - Bring Back The NBA Nickname Jerseys

Reading Time: 2 minutes 31 seconds

via NBA/SI

During the 2013-2014 NBA season, the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets debuted their highly anticipated ‘nickname jerseys” that featured the easily recognizable nicknames of the players on each team.

From “King James” to “The Truth,” the nickname jerseys were a favorite among the fans, and it brought something different to the court. So why not bring the nickname jerseys back? I’m not sure what the sales statistics were for those nickname jerseys, but I do know that bringing those jerseys back to the court has the potential to create more loyalty and engagement from fans and players - here’s how:

Fan Engagement

Social media is even more prevalent and powerful than it was in 2013 and 2014. If the NBA was to bring back the nickname jerseys, there are many areas and platforms they can use to involve its fans in the process. For starters, the NBA could host a social media contest to see which teams or athletes the fans think have the best nicknames. A social media contest could also involves one of their sponsors and include game tickets or meet and greets as giveaway prizes.

Player Engagement

While making sure to involve the fans, the NBA cannot leave out its players. After all, it is their nickname that’s going on the back of the jerseys.

Involving the players is an important step the NBA should take in making sure that their key stakeholders are happy with the process of bringing back the nickname jerseys. Asking some of the top players what nicknames they prefer over others and if they would be interested in the release of their nickname jersey would set an excellent tone for the NBA and give the players and fans what they want. 

New Jerseys, Old and New Nicknames

Via SI

With this year's jersey partnership with Nike and the inclusion of the jersey sponsor patches, the NBA can give fans a nickname on a newly branded jersey. “King James” on a Nike jersey with a Goodyear logo patch would probably be more appealing given his partnership with Nike and that his hometown is in Cleveland.

Also, with the variously themed jerseys that Nike has released this season, it would pretty cool to see some of the cool nicknames on those equally cool jerseys.

There are some new, old, creative and personality-driven nicknames that I’m sure fans would love to see their favorite players wear and that fans would buy if they were on a jersey. Here are some of those nicknames:

- Chef Curry
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly
- The Unicorn
- Splash Brother 1
- Splash Brother 2
- The Brow
- Boogie
- Cupcake
- The Greek Freak
- Uncle Drew
- Swaggy P
- The Beard

Sidebar: Just think if Nike released a “Black Mamba” or “Mamba” Kobe jersey or a “Big Fundamentals” Tim Duncan jersey… Those would sell like $.99 hotcakes.

In the spirit of wishful thinking, Nike, the NBA, and the jersey patch sponsors could all benefit from bringing back the nickname jerseys. If it’s bound to happen, let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later (while some of the top players are still on their current teams).

Sources: SI | SB Nation

The Value Behind NBA Jersey Patches

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

via NBA

The 2017-2018 season brought a new look to the NBA. Being the first of the four major U.S. sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) to add sponsorship patches to their jerseys, the NBA welcomes the expansion of its legacy by adding a new revenue stream for its teams and players.

Currently, 19 of the 30 NBA teams have signed jersey patch deals. However, the sponsored jersey deals are not long-term for the NBA - they are a part of an initial three-year agreement in which the NBA will evaluate the ROI (return on investment) of the jersey patch agreements.

So what is the value of a jersey sponsor patch for not only the NBA but also for the sponsors?

Let's start with the largest jersey patch deals:

• Golden State Warriors and eCommerce company Rakuten, valued at $20M (the largest jersey patch deal so far)

• Los Angeles Lakers and eCommerce platform Wish, valued at $12-$14M

• Cleveland Cavaliers and Goodyear, valued at $10M

• Boston Celtics and General Electrics, valued at $8M

Two weeks into the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Warriors, Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics accounted for 87% of the total earned media for jersey patches where earned media value equaled $2,592,513.73, according to BlinkFire Analytics.

So what supplies the value surrounding sponsored jersey patches? The value comes directly from digital marketing across various media platforms, where social media takes the lead.

When analyzing sponsorship value for the Golden State Warriors across their social media channels, Blinkfire reported that Rakuten earned media value totaling $1,030,811.25 during the first two weeks of the 2017-2018 NBA season where they also made up 52% of the Warriors sponsorship value.

I know you are saying "enough with the big numbers. What does all of this mean"? Well, the significant value for NBA jersey sponsor patches is in the increased brand value for the sponsors and of course the increase in revenue for NBA teams and players. 

Think of how many times you have seen the new NBA Nike jerseys with the sponsor patches. Now, think of how many times you or others may have researched or inquired about the sponsor and why they chose to sponsor a particular team. Also, think about how many people may have liked, commented, or followed the jersey patch sponsors just because of their association with a specific NBA team. That creates an increase in brand awareness and recognition for the sponsors. 

With the rise of digital media consumption and the forward-thinking progress of the NBA, becoming a jersey patch sponsor of the NBA is a win-win for any company that takes advantage of this three-year patch deal.

Sponsored jersey patches not only bring in money for the NBA and recognition for the sponsors - it adds another layer of storytelling between brands and sports teams. The majority of brands that have sponsored patches have a lasting history in the cities of the NBA teams they are sponsoring, and some have been sponsors of the respective teams for years (i.e., Goodyear and the Cleveland Cavaliers or Infor and the Brooklyn Nets).

Coupled with the additional revenue and brand awareness, adding sponsored patches to jerseys puts the NBA in a global space that the NFL, MLB, and NHL are not in. When you watch global games, you see sponsors on jerseys. With its growing global presence, the addition of sponsored jersey patches solidifies the NBA as a global game. In return, more value for the NBA and its sponsors on a much larger (global) scale.