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Advertisement Projections: NBA


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Over the past 3 or so years, advertising within the NBA has rapidly increased in sheer amount and in scope. Digital ads have appeared upon courts, baselines have become littered with corporate names, and the already-intrusive jersey ad program has expanded to practice shirts. But what about the future? In this thread, I hope to discuss with all of you a practical map for advertising in the league going forward.Β 

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Well, here's how I think this is going to go.Β 

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2023: The NBA In-Season Tournament commences. The league uses this development to introduce a brand new advertising path for the league: the bottom half of the jersey's back. While still exclusive to the tournament, Silver touts this program as an experiment with advertising expansion and expresses hope for its implementation throughout the season.Β 

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2025: The NBA approves jersey back advertising for the regular season. Fans are naturally upset by the move, but shift into a state of indifference quickly.Β 

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2026-27: No uniform developments are seen at this time, but court ad programs are expanded (team names are eliminated altogether from the baseline).

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Mid-2028: During the year's All Star Game, the NBA introduces advertising on the front of the jersey, echoing the extant placement on the back. Once again, the measure is touted as an experiment, but teams begin to sign front ad partners as the back half of the season goes on for the following campaign.Β 

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2029: Front ads are approved. Fans begin to express real displeasure at the increasing encroachment of advertising in the league. Jersey sales drop for a short period of time, and the league's front office begins to fear that they expanded the ad program too far. However, anger begins to wear off as the season continues.Β 

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With this, the jersey ad program nears its end. Considering the value team names hold both market-wise and within fanbases, the league decides not to eliminate the front wordmark (yet, at least). Pant ads are considered, but no consensus is observed. At this point, jerseys are the stylistic equivalent of WNBA jerseys. From here, I cannot make any further reasonable predictions. What do you think? What's your vision for the future of NBA advertising? Do things remain virtually the same as they are today, or is a dystopian league where ads abound wherever a basketball is found in our future?Β 

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42 minutes ago, namefornamesake said:

Well, here's how I think this is going to go.Β 

Β 

2023: The NBA In-Season Tournament commences. The league uses this development to introduce a brand new advertising path for the league: the bottom half of the jersey's back. While still exclusive to the tournament, Silver touts this program as an experiment with advertising expansion and expresses hope for its implementation throughout the season.Β 

Β 

2025: The NBA approves jersey back advertising for the regular season. Fans are naturally upset by the move, but shift into a state of indifference quickly.Β 

Β 

2026-27: No uniform developments are seen at this time, but court ad programs are expanded (team names are eliminated altogether from the baseline).

Β 

Mid-2028: During the year's All Star Game, the NBA introduces advertising on the front of the jersey, echoing the extant placement on the back. Once again, the measure is touted as an experiment, but teams begin to sign front ad partners as the back half of the season goes on for the following campaign.Β 

Β 

2029: Front ads are approved. Fans begin to express real displeasure at the increasing encroachment of advertising in the league. Jersey sales drop for a short period of time, and the league's front office begins to fear that they expanded the ad program too far. However, anger begins to wear off as the season continues.Β 

Β 

With this, the jersey ad program nears its end. Considering the value team names hold both market-wise and within fanbases, the league decides not to eliminate the front wordmark (yet, at least). Pant ads are considered, but no consensus is observed. At this point, jerseys are the stylistic equivalent of WNBA jerseys. From here, I cannot make any further reasonable predictions. What do you think? What's your vision for the future of NBA advertising? Do things remain virtually the same as they are today, or is a dystopian league where ads abound wherever a basketball is found in our future?Β 

Β 

I hope it at least takes longer to implement, but this is sadly realistic. The tournament is supposed to have a different set of uniforms (gimmicks on gimmicks) so it's a perfect chance to expand the ads and get people used to this bull:censored:.

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A compromise that will never happen that I would take given the current trajectory: regular season jerseys have as many ads plastered as you want but in the playoffs they are wiped clean. Again, would never be considered but goddamn I hate this :censored:.

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2 hours ago, namefornamesake said:

With this, the jersey ad program nears its end. Considering the value team names hold both market-wise and within fanbases, the league decides not to eliminate the front wordmark (yet, at least). Pant ads are considered, but no consensus is observed. At this point, jerseys are the stylistic equivalent of WNBA jerseys. From here, I cannot make any further reasonable predictions. What do you think? What's your vision for the future of NBA advertising? Do things remain virtually the same as they are today, or is a dystopian league where ads abound wherever a basketball is found in our future?Β 

I hope I'm not misinterpreting your statement...you're NOT implying that jerseys in the NBA will be as advertisement-laden as what we see in the WNBA, correct? Just that they will slowly, but surely take up more real estate and become more in your face over the next few years, except that the city/team name/other front-facing team element will be preserved because history.

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If so, I can't tell if this trend of ads becoming more prominent is because the league is still dying to get back its losses from the 2019-20 season pause from you-know-what OR being at the forefront of innovating whatever it is they can come up with to better their league at any cost.

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I just don’t see it happening over the next decade without heavy revolt and not even them boycotting, just losing interest and being fed up in the clear money making scheme by the league. I don’t trust Adam silver as far as I can throw him but I see them focusing on arena and television advertisements before spreading further on the uniforms to where team names are no longer front and center.

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On 5/15/2023 at 10:39 AM, namefornamesake said:

team names are eliminated altogether from the baseline

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I have no doubt this is coming by '24-'25

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

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