Monday, April 12, 2004
Baseball Players Eyed as Product Placement Surfaces
Advertising Age quotes one anonymous "high-ranking league marketing executive" as estimating that MLB could generate $500 million/year in revenue if it allowed commercial logos on uniforms.
The discussion was spurred by images from the Yankees-Devil Rays trip to Japan, during which both clubs wore 3" x 3" sleeve patches and a batting-helmet logo touting Ricoh, the Japanese office equipment company which paid $10 million to become the official sponsor of the trip. Tim Brosnan, MLB's executive vice president for business, denied that MLB has any plans to sell such ads in the United States, but "on the other side of the coin, never say never."
Even if MLB were so inclined, though, several problems would remain. MLB would insist on leaguewide rather than team-by-team logo deals -- otherwise the Yankees' revenue advantage would grow even larger -- raising the possibility of conflict with existing local sponsorships. Other advertisers might resent baseball's deal with the favored company. And of course, fans would scream bloody murder.
One such fan, Senator Charles Schumer, voiced his concerns directly to the Commissioner. The New York Post reported last week that Selig assured Schumer "he was not going to allow it to happen."
In other words, we have nothing to worry about so long as we trust Bud Selig to keep his word, and trust MLB to listen to fans' concerns. That's reassuring, isn't it?
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Advertising Age quotes one anonymous "high-ranking league marketing executive" as estimating that MLB could generate $500 million/year in revenue if it allowed commercial logos on uniforms.
The discussion was spurred by images from the Yankees-Devil Rays trip to Japan, during which both clubs wore 3" x 3" sleeve patches and a batting-helmet logo touting Ricoh, the Japanese office equipment company which paid $10 million to become the official sponsor of the trip. Tim Brosnan, MLB's executive vice president for business, denied that MLB has any plans to sell such ads in the United States, but "on the other side of the coin, never say never."
Even if MLB were so inclined, though, several problems would remain. MLB would insist on leaguewide rather than team-by-team logo deals -- otherwise the Yankees' revenue advantage would grow even larger -- raising the possibility of conflict with existing local sponsorships. Other advertisers might resent baseball's deal with the favored company. And of course, fans would scream bloody murder.
One such fan, Senator Charles Schumer, voiced his concerns directly to the Commissioner. The New York Post reported last week that Selig assured Schumer "he was not going to allow it to happen."
In other words, we have nothing to worry about so long as we trust Bud Selig to keep his word, and trust MLB to listen to fans' concerns. That's reassuring, isn't it?
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