Original Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/11/06/ads-nhl-jerseys_n_6116996.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-business

Justine’s Post: https://blogs.ubc.ca/justinebearss/2014/11/09/advertisements-to-be-placed-on-nhl-jerseys/

The NHL COO, John Collins recently said in an interview that they were seriously
considering ad sponsorship on the jerseys of the NHL Players. Though no time frame or any details were given.
Justine (original blog poster) believes that this is a good idea because ultimately the
brands that will have the chance to be endorsed by the Canucks and other teams in the NHL will be seen by a large audience, people that watch these games at home on a Wednesday because there’s nothing better to do, as well as avid NHL fans that would believe that what their players are endorsing are the absolute best brands, brands that they should most definitely purchase. This already exists in EHL (Euro Hockey League), as well as the NFL who have practice jerseys with sponsoring ads on them. This is a great way to generate revenue as the abundance of brands will have lots of competition amongst each other to get on the jerseys to begin with and then to request specific player jerseys will be even more costly. Overall it is a profitable idea and I think that they should definitely go with it.
However, there is one thing I am not quite sure about that Justine also didn’t touch upon
was the kinds of brands that they’d be sponsoring. What if they choose to sponsor fast food restaurants? Or maybe cigarette brands? Being hockey players, it is assumed and they are looked at as promoters and advocates of healthy living and eating fatty foods or smoking a sig or two are not necessarily the healthiest ways to live. Not to mention morally sound companies; one of the biggest liabilities I see here is that if any company is being sponsored on their jerseys does it specifically mean that those particular players condone the operations and logistics of each company? There’s always the chance of some misconduct in the company and if there is an outbreak then that will directly impact the hockey teams which everyone will question as to why they are endorsing such brands, and they are not knowledgeable about it then why not?
Despite these concerns, I do think this venture can bring in more money than it will cost should such a situation occur, because of which I agree with Justine’s idea of customer incentive increasing because the people that also would have their brands on these jerseys will be in the public eye all the time and the dedicated fans on their NHL teams will for sure look into the brands if not find something they can purchase from them immediately. It benefits both the NHL, as well as the brands it’d be endorsing to an exponential degree.