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The NHL became the latest league to allow jersey ads with a unanimous vote from its board of governors.
The patches will debut in the 2022-2023 season. Negotiations with corporate sponsors may begin immediately, according to an email sent to teams this week.
Ads can be as large as 3 x 3.5 inches — bigger than the NBA’s 2.5 x 2.5 inch patches. The location of the patch on the jersey will be determined individually by each team.
The move should provide a fresh influx of revenue as the league recovers from pandemic losses.
- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that teams “retained more than $100 million in revenue” from helmet ads and other changes introduced last season.
- The league will continue allowing helmet ads.
- NBA jersey patches, permitted since the 2017-2018 season, bring in an estimated $150 million annually.
The NHL’s revenue fell 14% year-over-year in the 2019-2020 season to $4.4 billion. Operating income fell 68% to $250 million and team values dropped 2% from the previous year, the first decline since 2001.
