A vote among NBA owners scheduled to take place this week may allow for advertisements on NBA jerseys, according to ESPN.
The ads would come in the form of a patch worn on the left shoulder of the jersey.
In a proposal owners heard during February’s All-Star Weekend, teams would keep 50 percent of the revenue generated from jersey ads while the remaining 50 percent would be added to the revenue pool that all league teams share.
The measure is expected to pass, and advertisements on jerseys could come as soon as the 2017-18 season.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has led the jersey ad project, and the league recently signed new TV and apparel deals where jersey ads were part of the negotiation.
In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Silver said of jersey ads “It’s manifest destiny.”
“What we’re talking about is a patch on the jersey,” Silver continued. “And one of the reasons we want to do it is that it creates an additional investment in those companies in the league … the amplification we get from those sponsors, those marketing partners of the league, who want to attach to our teams and our players.”
“But once they put their name on the jerseys, they’ll then use their media to promote the NBA extensively. That’s probably the greatest reason for us to do it,” Silver said.
The vote comes as part of the league’s board of governors meeting, held in New York later this week.
