NBA to allow ads on sidelines next season
Starting next season the NBA will allow advertising on the court for the first time.
In an attempt to add additional revenue streams, teams will be able to sell add space on what is referred to as "the apron" of the court, along with on the top of the backboard to capitalize on overhead camera angles.
The apron is the area between the baseline and the coaches' box where teams currently display their twitter handles, while the area above the backboard usually has the team's website listed.
Court logo space however, can only be sold to a company for games that are locally televised, as any and all corporate branding will be removed for nationally televised games.
Although some fear the over-branding of basketball, placing logos on the court is a favorable alternative to adding brand logos to uniforms, which was seriously discussed.
While the league doesn't expect any negative feedback from fans since the ads are all featured out of bounds, some are sure to label the move as greedy; a term already often tagged to the NBA.
it is safe to assume the players are happy however, as they will get a share of the revenue generated from the new signage.
It is difficult to determine exactly how the new revenue opportunity will affect each individual team, but at this point it seems that a team without a lot of nationally televised games, and a lot of local sponsors such as the Sixers, should benefit.
Teams that have a surplus of nationally televised games, such as the Heat or the Lakers, may miss out on many individual sponsorship opportunities. Biut the Sixers should be able to capitalize.
The Sixers organization' has some strong local and national sponsor relationships that they may look to sell some space to. Prominent names include Comcast (in particular), Blue Cross, Main Line Health, the Pennsylvania Lottery, Gatorade, McDonald's, NovaCare and StubHub.
Expect to see some of those logos on the Wells Fargo Center sidelines next season.
The 2013-14 NBA season is going to serve as sort of a trial run for the advertisements. The future of the idea will be addressed after the season.