If you step into any kind of professional sports stadium or arena these days, it’s usually fit for a sports marketing class. Regarding the Mets, Yankees, and the rest of MLB, the ads won’t stop there.
They’ll soon reach player uniforms. It’s already happened for two big-league clubs: the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox. The Padres took the plunge first, agreeing to a $9 million per year deal with Motorola. Boston has a 10-year, $170 million deal in place with Mass Mutual, according to Front Office Sports.
Fans of both New York teams have reason to think jersey patch sponsors shouldn’t be a thing in the Big Apple. The Mets have the richest owner in baseball. It’s not like Steve Cohen needs it for the money. And for the Yankees, would Hal Steinbrenner really put an ad on those coveted pinstripes?
For those hoping this would be the case, I have bad news for you. Both squads are currently looking for a jersey patch sponsor. Don’t blame me — blame Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. He’s the one that broke the story.
The Mets were only mentioned in one specific sentence. Marchand notes team spokeswoman Nancy Elder said the organization is looking into it. We don’t know for sure yet if the Amazins will go through with it, but we all know Cohen is opportunistic when it comes to making money.
Marchand’s piece mostly focuses on the Yankees’ intentions, which are much clearer. Team spokesman Jason Zillo said the organization continues to “engage the marketplace” for a partner.
When the Yankees take the field against the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day, uniforms will have no ads. But it’s happening soon. Here’s what Marchand had to say about a potential timeline and why it could take a while:
It is not that the Yankees are against putting the advertising on their fabled pinstripes, but they are not going to do it with anyone for any price, according to sources.
It’s going to be their price, their type of company and, if it happens this season, it likely won’t be until the All-Star break at the earliest. If they don’t have one by then, they could still add one, but it would more likely be pushed to 2024.
There has already been plenty of thought as to which sleeve the four-by-four-inch patches would go on. And yes, it would vary depending on the player:
To ensure maximum exposure, left-handed hitters will have the advertising patch on their right sleeve, while righties will have them on their left sleeve. This is so the patch will appear more on TV as it will face a pitcher.
How much are the Yankees looking for from a jersey sponsor? Quite a bit:
The Knicks had a patch, but now don’t have one. The Sports Business Journal reported that James Dolan wants $30 million a year for a Knicks patch, which, according to CNBC, is what the Nets currently receive from WeBull.
The exact number the Yankees are looking for is likely in the Knicks range, if not higher. They look at the pinstripe brand as being the top in sports, due to its illustrious championship history that includes 27 World Series titles.
We can agree with that. The Yankees are a noteworthy brand that can be identified pretty much anywhere around the world.
Regarding the Mets, maybe Cohen will hold off temporarily as New York continues to gain popularity (and maybe a championship). But that’s anyone’s guess. All we know is that he usually gets what he wants. That’ll also be the case for the Yankees’ quest to find a jersey sponsor.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
