NHL to sell adspace on jerseys

[DarkStar50 679]

But would yu agree that most players would do it even if it doesn't add up to much more than a month's rent for these guys? Not to insinuate every pro athlete is that incredibly greedy, but the big picture would be, that those numbers will only increase with time also.

Pro hockey players are, on average, among the cheapest professional athletes.

Just curious, as to what exactly you base this statement on?

[Chadd 916]

But would yu agree that most players would do it even if it doesn't add up to much more than a month's rent for these guys? Not to insinuate every pro athlete is that incredibly greedy, but the big picture would be, that those numbers will only increase with time also.

Pro hockey players are, on average, among the cheapest professional athletes.

Just curious, as to what exactly you base this statement on?

The players that I have met and the stories from a number of reps who have been in the locker rooms. The majority of guys I've met always want something for free just because of who they are and usually try to negotiate the price of everything down. Obviously all hockey players aren't that way, but a very large number of them are. There are some generous guys and some who never mention the fact that they are/were pros when you deal with them, they are the minority.

[cxo 0]

The only thing I've heard to argue that is, something Mike Golic spewed one morning about NFL teams pay rolls matching those of MLB and NBA rosters though they have about, what, 60-65 more players on an NFL team? I can't quote him, but I thought it was interesting.

[DarkStar50 679]

Since I do not rep any product or enter a locker room with such, my experiences with NHL players has been in the public setting and the pub setting. The players I have met have always been courteous and generous with their time and $.

[DarkStar50 679]

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s252/Da.../JERSEYS009.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s252/Da.../JERSEYS011.jpg

This is from SM-Liiga in Finland. I have a friend who sends these to me. This is game worn from Rauman Lukko.

[Doctor Hook 0]

I predicted this for the NHL years ago. I say go for it and get some bank, it's not like they'll build up more of a fanbase than they already have.

[dix0r 0]

i wonder if advertising on hasek's back would cost less...

[Doctor Hook 0]

i wonder if advertising on hasek's back would cost less...

Well, there's a good branding familiarity opportunity when he turns around to retrieve pucks that went by him from the goal.

[Trapper 0]

If Europe proves anything it's once this starts, it wont stay small and tasteful. I don't care for it at all..... .02

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

the NHL has trouble selling freaking dasherboard ads for something like the winter classic... Who in the hell would pay the premiums to put an ad on a jersey?

[TBLfan 25]

NBC?

I'm still pissed about the stupid lighted ads on the boards, how annoying is that?

[Penguinsfanatic 0]

NBC?

I'm still pissed about the stupid lighted ads on the boards, how annoying is that?

what are those, havev't seen um yet but if they are what im thinking of then damn those are retarded..

[TBLfan 25]

They're ads that are literally lighted up. Watch a Lightning game and you'll see it in the left zone(from the main cameras). I've seen it in like 3 or 4 other arenas too.

[DarkStar50 679]

This just in: Like it or not, the NHL needs those sponsor advertising dollars. Just another necessary evil in professional sports. However, as hockey fans, we should be grateful that whatever companies are bothering to pay for advertising in the NHL are bothering to pay for advertising in the NHL. The NHL doesn't have the luxury of picking and choosing their partners the way the NFL and MLB do.

[Vermette20 0]

The lighted up adds is almost as bad as the glowing puck from the late 90's, Man I hated watching games with that thing. I found myself watching that more than the game itself, im sure I missed alot of good hits because of it.

Some things in hockey should be just left alone, no neon signs, glowing pucks etc.. Next thing the players will have adds tatooed to their bodies for more money.

Casey

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

The lighted ads allow for it to change during stopages. I think it's a good idea since potentially you can get more ad space in, but i dont know that thats the route to go. College basketball around here has ads that are on rollers so they cycle, but arent lit and distracting. They should use those instead.

I did see ray whitney's skate hit one of those LED dasher board ads once... blacked out a substantial piece of it. pretty amusing.

[TBLfan 25]

Exactly, just anything lit up is annoying. The board ads are fine, the ads under the ice... fine.

Still stand that the jerseys have a little bit of sacredness left, leave them alone.

[Nov101775 0]

"when all of pro sports is littered with players who would jump ship at the drop of a hat for a bigger paycheck"

How many people do you know wouldn't switch companies for even a slight increase in pay? Hell I'd throw a nun through a plate glass window for 10%...

[cxo 0]

"when all of pro sports is littered with players who would jump ship at the drop of a hat for a bigger paycheck"

How many people do you know wouldn't switch companies for even a slight increase in pay? Hell I'd throw a nun through a plate glass window for 10%...

Reinforcing my point, thank you. Professionals making a lot of money aren't any different than people who are scraping. Everyone wants more. It isn't just hockey players, or athletes in general. It doesn't make you an asshole if you're after more money either, it just depends on how you go about getting it.

[Jim A 4]

I could see either a patch and/or a logo on the bottom of the jersey underneath the name/number

in the end though, its not like people are lining up trying to advertise with the NHL and their tremendous fan base

This would be likely added value with a slight addition $ wise to their current contracts...

[Viking 1]

and its not damaged any teams brand image or ease of identification

(regarding the Euro soccer unis a couple of pages ago)

Not true. Celtic are easy to identify because the uniforms are more distinctive than most and their brand identity is stronger than most, but European soccer teams are really identifiable only to people who closely follow European soccer. I have only mild interest in it, and there are probably no more than five European soccer teams that I can identify based on uniform alone. On those uniforms, the corporate logo is central, not the team's logo - if you already follow the sport closely, you know who's playing, but for me it looks like Team Sony is playing against Team Vaseline, and it means nothing to me. If NHL uniforms looked like European soccer uniforms, the NHL teams' brand identities would be even weaker than they already are (I mean in America, because obviously the Toronto Maple Leafs could change their names to the Toronto Oscar Mayers and change the uniforms to hot dog costumes and people would still come to the arena and cheer on their weenies). And being the first league to do this would just show people how minor league the NHL is, and make it more of a joke than it already is. Whatever money they would make from this (and lets be honest, it probably wouldn't be very much) would not be enough to be worth the credibility they would lose. People who follow the NHL already know it has no credibility, but they have to think about how this would look to someone who flicks the channel past ABC on a sunday afternoon and sees the New Jersey Nyquil Devils playing against the New York Speed Stick Islanders. I know the uniform ads are accepted in Europe, but in North America, they only exist in the CFL, AHL, Major League Soccer, and other minor leagues. If the NHL doesn't want to be in the same class as the CFL, they can't act like they are. I can't picture the New York Yankees, or the Boston Celtics selling ad space on their uniforms to make a quick buck, so I don't want to picture the Montreal Canadiens doing it.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

Freud would have a field day with that post.

[danielb 0]

Not true. Celtic are easy to identify because the uniforms are more distinctive than most and their brand identity is stronger than most, but European soccer teams are really identifiable only to people who closely follow European soccer. I have only mild interest in it, and there are probably no more than five European soccer teams that I can identify based on uniform alone.

I find the same things with NHL teams I'm afraid, I can probably identify about a dozen team jerseys at a push.

...how this would look to someone who flicks the channel past ABC on a sunday afternoon and sees the New Jersey Nyquil Devils playing against the New York Speed Stick Islanders. I know the uniform ads are accepted in Europe, but in North America, they only exist in the CFL, AHL, Major League Soccer...

We are unless I'm mistaken talking about adverts on team strips not inserting sponsers names into team names which is a totally different debate...

[shooter27 116]

Everyone, lets face it, there are already ads in place on NHL jerseys. What do you call the RBK log on the back of the shoulders? Or the Koho logo before that? Or the Nike Swoosh on the hemline before that? You can call it a manufacturing mark if you like, but these companies pay the NHL for the right to be the official jersey supplier and that allows them to put their logo on a visible spot on the jersey. Thats advertising. The NFL does it too with the Reebok logo on their collars. While I agree that the RBK logo is much different than the Euro jerseys with logos all over the place, the fact remains that advertising on jerseys already exists. This would just make it more conspicuous.

[TBLfan 25]

There's a difference between a brand name and a burger king logo on your goalies chest.