National Basketball Association

NBA approves the sale of ads on jerseys

Published Apr. 15, 2016 12:22 p.m. ET

Brett Pollakoff

The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of jersey sponsorships beginning in the 2017-18 season, the league announced on Friday via an official release.

This is a three-year pilot program which will feature ads on the front left of the game jersey opposite the Nike logo. Coincidentally, Nike takes over the league's apparel deal during that same season.

"Jersey sponsorships provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build a unique association with our teams and the additional investment will help grow the game in exciting new ways," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "We're always thinking about innovative ways the NBA can remain competitive in a global marketplace, and we are excited to see the results of this three-year trial."

Patches will measure approximately 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches, and will be similar to the ones that were featured on the All-Star game jerseys earlier this year. Each individual team will be responsible for selling their own jersey sponsorships.

There is a silver lining for fans who may be turned off by seeing the ads on their favorite team's gear. According to the release, the sponsor patch will not appear on the retail versions of the player jerseys, so fans should still be able to purchase some that retain the more classic look.

Teams will, however, have the option to sell the jerseys with sponsor patches in their own retail outlets.