Wiz of Awes
Fansided

Who Will Be the Washington Wizards’ Official Logo Sponsor?

By Ryan Eugene

Apr 4, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) smiles on the court against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 118-111. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) smiles on the court against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 118-111. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Washington Wizards jerseys will officially don sponsorship logos in the 2017-2018 NBA season. Other teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadephia 76ers have already announced their sponsors. So who should represent the Wizards?

In 2016, the NBA announced that teams would be permitted to wear sponsorship logos on the upper left chest of their jerseys. According to ESPN, teams will “start pitching companies on buying a 2.5-inch-by-2.5-inch space.”

In that article, Commissioner Adam Silver added:

"“It’s my hope, independent of whatever additional revenues are generated through this patch program, that the greatest impact will be in this amplifying effect of companies choosing to associate directly with a team jersey, then going out and promoting that relationship to the largest market.”"

Silver went on to say that the new jersey advertising program “will be worth about $100 million a year” for a league that rakes in around $7 Billion a year.

This addition comes at the same time the NBA will be switching to Nike uniforms, and the Nike logo will be present on the right chest. Man jerseys are going to be crowded next season.

More from Wiz of Awes

ESPN ran a story back in February about the various considerations for the logo patches. These included the shape and color, the tech bubble, and charity work.

With the considerations and possibilities, it’s interesting to think what brands (local or national) may be on the jersey the next time John Wall hits a game winning shot.

The teams that have already signed have gone in various directions. The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Goodyear, the national tire company headquartered in Akron, OH.

Boston will be wearing the patch of General Electric, which is headquartered in Boston.

Philadelphia will be sporting StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace.

The Jazz will be wearing Qualtrics, a Utah based research software company.

Lastly, Sacramento will be wearing a Blue Diamond patch. I love my raw almonds, but that one seems a little peculiar. Then again according to the Sacramento Bee, Blue Diamond is estimated to have had over $3 billion in sales in a five-year period, and $709 million in one year.

While many teams haven’t announced the monetary agreements, the Cleveland Cavaliers are slated to earn $10 million a year in their deal with Goodyear. Although, part of that money will be split amongst the league because of revenue sharing.

So what companies could be in the running for ads on the Wizards’ jerseys?

The team probably won’t partner with one of the many Defense companies in the area, but there are plenty of options around in finance, insurance, and retail.

Four potential Companies

Capital One

Capital One is the eighth-largest commercial bank in the US, and headquartered in McLean. The best reason to partner with Capital One would undoubtably be to get some Wizards in great commercials, maybe alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Charles Barkley, and Spike Lee.

Geico

Geico, headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, has long been a sponsor at Wizards games. The stanchion says Geico on it currently, so branding would be pretty consistent. Like Capital One, this would bring a lot of opportunities for great commercial space. Maybe something about how crazy quick John Wall is? Geico has already shown it can make great material with basketball players.

Marriott

Having a hotel chain as a jersey sponsor would be interesting. It could go a long way towards influencing fans when they book a hotel. But would Marriott be OK with the team donning its logo, then staying in its competitors hotels when on the road?

Mars, Inc.

Mars would be great in theory. It has the least amount of letters, and a logo that can easily be redesigned to fit the color scheme and 2.5 inch by 2.5 inch dimensions on the jersey. Then again, Bradley Beal just had the best year of his career, at the same time he cut out candy from his diet. With a candy sponsor, Verizon Center might turn into Willy Wonka’s Chocalate Factory. Anyone else scared a candy endorsement could lead to poor dieting from players?

Who do you think should be the sponsor?

Next: Wizards 2017 Season Review: Kelly Oubre Jr.

No matter who the sponsor, let’s hope that the design team does a great job on coloring and styling, to ensure that Washington still looks great in its various uniform sets.

Home/Wizards News