The Yormark-ization of the NBA: ads on uniforms likely coming in a year (Barclays, anyone?)

Paul Lukas reports on UniWatch the the NBA likely will permit jersey ads beginning in 2013-14, measuring at least two inches square, though there must be an e-mail vote in September.

While uniform ads would not be required, deputy commissioner Adam Silver says, “My sense is that every team would do this in some form.” (Would Barclays, after buying arena naming rights, want a piece of the uniform--(and further criticism?)

Comments Lukas:

I have to admit, I’m surprised — I thought they’d take an incremental step, like putting ads on practice jerseys or warm-ups.

Why it's wrong

What's wrong with it? Lukas writes:

I’ve never once said I’m opposed to advertising; I’m just opposed to advertising where it doesn’t belong. This content you’re reading here is available for free. To help offset my costs, I sell advertising, which is what media enterprises have been doing to offset their costs for centuries. But NBA teams already have lots of revenue streams — ticket sales, TV rights, merchandising, concessions, arena naming rights, and so on. Do they really need the revenue from uniform ads, or are they just greedy? (Yes, that question is rhetorical.)

Does Mikhail Prokhorov need the money?

Yormark in the lead

When this issue emerged earlier this year, Sporting News reported 3/5/12:

“Obviously, it’s a league decision, but as someone who spent seven years at NASCAR, I know the value of putting a brand on the playing field and the uniform, so it is certainly something I would support,” said New Jersey Nets CEO Brett Yormark. “You can monetize this in ways you can’t monetize any other kind of marketing inventory. And, of course, we’re in the No. 1 market in the country, so ...”

As noted on NetsDaily, the Nets "were the first to put ads, for PNY, on its practice jerseys and training facility." Commenters were negative.