With sponsorship being a key driver behind many events, stadiums and even players involved in the NFL, it is hard to believe that the league has not followed in the footsteps of many leagues around the world and introduced sponsorship on jerseys. This added revenue is the driving force keeping many teams afloat in leagues such as the English Premier League and the Australian Football League.

With Nike having the apparel sponsorship locked up for an estimated $220 million a year, it still leaves room for a main sponsor which could be placed either below or above the number on the front of the jersey. There is also ample room on the back, below the number, leaving a spot for a second sponsor or a repeat logo of the front sponsor.

So just how much would money would putting a logo on an NFL jersey bring in for the teams? Using current sponsorship deals as yardsticks, we can work out a possible figure.

Football powerhouses Barcelona and Manchester United each have deals which are believed to be in the region of $30-40 million per year. Though NFL is a massive sport worldwide, it doesn’t have the global pull of fans as much as these clubs do, especially in regards to TV audience and jersey sales. On the second tier, which includes teams such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, brands pay around $12-15 million for the main logo spot on front of their respective jerseys.

Taking a look at the MLS, shirt sponsorship varies from between $1 and $3 million, with that number expected to rise as the competition garners more support.

So looking at the data presented, it is possible that big market teams such as the NY Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears could reach a figure somewhere in the $15-20 million range with smaller market teams such as the St. Louis Rams reaching around $6-10 million. The disparity between the teams would be a slight concern, however there would be ways in which these teams could reach a similar figure. If the sponsorship was based on bonuses such as TV audience figures, making the playoffs and making an appearance in the Super Bowl, smaller teams would be able to bridge the gap through performance.

There would be no shortage of sponsors wanting to jump on board either, with the NFL breaking TV audience records all the time. Not to mention there is no stopping other leagues such as the NBA and NHL adopting this too.

I can’t quite fathom how this has not already been introduced, especially at a time when there is a shortfall between player and owner demands. Although a small figure in relative terms, it would certainly bring each side much closer together, and I’m sure fans wouldn’t have a problem with a company logo on their team’s jersey if it meant they could actually watch football.

Jersey Sponsorship: Could This Help Save The NFL CBA? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The NFL owners voting to have an outdoor Super Bowl in the Meadowlands in 2014 is a drastic change to professional sports, which deserves a closer look at exactly what it means for the future of neutral site games.

Other then the Super Bowl, the other major sporting events to play on a neutral court/field are predominantly college sports.  Like football, NCAA Basketball also has the same court dimensions regardless of where the event is hosted. The only advantage in NCAA Basketball neutral city events is proximity to the participating schools fan bases.  Often the NCAA rewards higher seeded teams with games closer to home for the earlier rounds of the tournament, but with the host city of the Final Four being announced years in advance, they leave the possibility open that a team will have an advantage because of their proximity to the host city.

In the NFL, the obvious change in the Super Bowl, is that up until now, a potent west coast style offense had a significant advantage over a power running game/hard nosed defense combo of a team that plays in a cold weather city.  A perfect example of this was in Super Bowl XLI when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 29-17 in Miami. The Colts were led by Payton Manning and their great receivers, while the Bears were guided by their incredible defense and Thomas Jones running the football. Had that game been played in Green Bay for instance, the result would most likely have been different.

In the preliminary playoff rounds, teams have a home field advantage based on their seeding, however, the reasoning for this unwarranted advantage in the Super Bowl is strictly due to revenue. The Super Bowl is a corporate event; major companies fly out their clients and executives to the host city to enjoy the Super Bowl festivities.  It is very understandable that corporate America would rather have the host city be a place like Miami, where there are greater amenities then a place like Green Bay.

The NFL never denied the fact that cold weather is ingrained in the game of football. Fans love going to games in the ridiculously low temperatures and snow. Fans love seeing Tom Coughlin’s face look like Mr. Deeds dead uncle from the movie, and seeing the macho players on the field without long sleeves under their jerseys.  Making a Super Bowl in a cold weather city is great news to everyone other then Peyton Manning, yet it goes without mentioning that the stadium and host city for the 2014 festivities is the New Meadowlands in the backyard of New York City, which is still not exactly Green Bay.

If the 2014 Super Bowl is successful in New York, we will definitely be seeing more Super Bowls in cold weather cities. This change will surely expose the advantage that west coast style teams had enjoyed.  ow will the NFL respond to that? We should see cold weather teams win when the game is in a cold weather city, and visa versa. What will happen when the outcome of the Super Bowl is determined solely based on which city the NFL picks as a host? Will this decision effectively eventually force the NFL to do away with host cities and award a home game to the better deserving team? If that happens, how would corporate America respond to that? Would the NFL be willing to respect the integrity of the game and risk losing some of the appeal of the event to the corporate sponsors?

The NFL is believed to set the bar for how things are done in other sports. If the events unfold like I believe they will, could you see the NCAA following suit and having back up plans in place in case a team within a certain amount of miles from the host city goes to the Final Four?

We are living in what we believe to be the tail end of the steroid era in professional sports, which is a time when athletes were willing to do just about anything to gain a competitive advantage. Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire not being first ballot Hall of Famers demonstrates how we feel about the issue, and I for one would be very happy if we abolished these other advantages that exist in the sports world as well.

The Significance of a Super Bowl in a Cold City like New York from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

What: 7th Annual Relay Worldwide Sports Sponsorship Symposium by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily

When: Wednesday, Sept. 30 – Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009

Where: New York City, NY at the Marriott Marquis

Keynote: Uli Becker, CEO and President, Reebok International

Panels:

Sept. 30

• 7:30 a.m. – Registration
• 8:30 a.m. – Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • Richard Weiss, Publisher, Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal/Daily
  • Tim Mauer, CEO, Relay Worldwide
• 8:45 a.m. – The Recalibration of Sports Sponsorships and Event Marketing
  • Rich Lehrfeld, VP of Global Sponsorship Marketing, American Express
  • Tim McGhee, Exec Director of Corporate Sponsorships, AT&T
  • Dan McHugh, VP of Media, Sponsorship, and Activation, Anheuser-Busch
  • Scott O’Neil, President of MSG Sports
  • Matt Pensinger, Senior VP of Marketing Services and Consulting, Relay Worldwide
  • Mark Waller, Senior VP of Marketing and Sales, NFL
• 9:45 a.m. – The Rebranding of Gatorade: Inside the G Launch and Defending Against Competition in the Sports Drink Market
  • Sarah Robb O’Hagan, CMO of Gatorade
• 11:00 a.m. – The New Realities of Marketing: The Chief Marketers’ Perspective
  • Phil Clement, Global CMO and Communications Officer, Aon
  • Rory Finlay, Senior VP and Global CMO, Beam Global Spirits & Wine
  • Mark Ingall, Managing Director of Global Strategic Media and Marketing, Citigroup
  • Stewart Mitchell, Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer, Sharp Electronics
  • Tony Pace, CMO of Subway
• 12:00 p.m. – Lunch
• 2:00 p.m. – Anatomy of the Procter & Gamble/NFL Sponsorship
  • Jason Dial, architect of the deal.
• 2:45 p.m. – Marketing to Hispanics: Leveraging Their Passion for Soccer and Other Sports
  • Marco Lopez, Senior Director of Relay Worldwide’s Hispanic Marketing practice
• 4:00 p.m. – The Ever-Changing Athlete Endorsement and Talent Procurement Business
  • Steve Battista, Senior VP of Branding, Under Armour
  • Frank Mahar, General Counsel, Genesco Sports Enterprises
  • Mike Principe, Managing Director, BEST
  • Ryan Steelberg, CEO, Brand Affinity Technologies
• 5:00 p.m. – Reception

Oct 1.

• 8:00 a.m. – Continental Breakfast
• 8:30 a.m. – Keynote Speech
• 9:15 a.m. – How the Sports Media Business and Media Buying are Changing Before Our Very Eyes
  • Ray Warren, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer, Comcast SportsNet
  • Jeff Flemings, Senior VP and Global Head of Social, VivaKi
  • Eric Fernandez, Senior Partner, MediaLink
  • Ed Erhardt, President, ESPN Customer Marketing and Sales
• 10:45 a.m. – Lifelock Makes its Mark in Sports
  • Todd Davis, CEO, Lifelock
• 11:30 a.m. – Up Next: A Futurecast on the Challenges in Sports and the Changes in Consumer Behavior
  • Rich Luker, CEO, The Luker Co.
  • Jerome Conlon, President, Brand Frameworks
  • Ben Kline, Chief Strategy Officer, Leo Burnett
  • Scott Hess, VP of Insights, Tru
  • Pat O’Connor, President, Minor League Baseball
• 12:30 p.m. – Conference Conclusion

Cost: $1,495 for SportsBusiness Journal paid subscribers. $1,650 for non-SportsBusiness Journal paid subscribers. Must register by September 23. Click here to register.

Relay Worldwide Sports Sponsorship Symposium from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Michael Goldman: Can you briefly discuss your role as Manager of Sports Marketing and your background that led to you to joining Volkswagen?

Ben Freidson: My role is to identify potential sports sponsorships that align well with our marketing and communications strategy. Once we enter into an agreement, our emphasis is to try and leverage the sponsorship at all levels of the organization.

My background is in Business and Sports Management. At one time I worked for D.C. United in their corporate sponsorships division. More recently, I was working for a sponsorship activation agency, Cenergy Communications. At Cenergy, I worked with both corporations like Mentholatum’s OXY and Dial’s Right Guard Xtreme on their sponsorships of the Dew Action Sports Tour as well as with professional teams with the Cleveland Cavaliers/Lake Erie Monsters and the Buffalo Bills.

Michael Goldman: Volkswagen of America Inc. recently announced the renewal of their partnership with Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing after a successful first year.  What aspects of the partnership’s initial year pushed Volkswagen to seek a multi-year renewal?

Ben Freidson: Throughout the brand, we are focusing on creating conversations with new, broader and more diverse audiences.  Major League Soccer has strong relationships with loyal soccer fans that are aware of the Volkswagen brand and also are familiar with our global commitment to the sport.  This partnership provides our team with a multi-platform vehicle to engage these important US consumers in a whole new way. Our experiential programs and webisode series for last year’s Road to MLS Cup was positively received by fans and generated good online awareness.  We want to do more to engage the fans.

Michael Goldman: Describe the national grassroots programming that Volkswagen plans to develop with MLS and SUM.

Ben Freidson: I can’t get into the specifics of our new grassroots initiatives for the upcoming season quite yet, but I can tell you that we will look to leverage Volkswagen and Major League Soccer assets to showcase the value of our brand in a meaningful way to consumers. Our biggest need is to get consumers more familiar with our product offerings. We have several vehicles that are a perfect fit for the active soccer family and we launched 5 new vehicles last year including the Routan, Tiguan and CC. Event marketing is a great way for us to educate consumers and have a deeper conversation about Volkswagen and our cars.

We will use media, events and the Web to make sure we’re making the right connections, early and often.

In addition to new grassroots initiatives, we will be a sponsor of existing MLS grassroots initiatives including MLS Futbolito and Sueno MLS, which are both fantastic ways to connect with our Spanish speaking fans.

Michael Goldman: MLS is in an expansion mode still, as well as diligently trying to expand its fan base in the U.S.  As MLS grows, hopefully Volkswagen’s presence in the U.S. will grow too as a result of this partnership.  What are the specific areas of growth or demographic additions that Volkswagen is hoping to attain as a result of the partnership with MLS?

Ben Freidson: As the MLS grows its fan base, the partnership generates tremendous visibility with key US consumers including the Hispanic community, families and the endemic soccer fan, all of whom are very important audiences and customers bases for Volkswagen.  Through our activations, consumers have the opportunity to try out new vehicles and see products in person and hands-on in a way that they might not otherwise have experienced.

Michael Goldman: Volkswagen has been a long-time supporter of soccer on a global level.  This partnership shows Volkswagen’s substantial investment and support for soccer in the U.S.  What fraction of Volkswagen of America Inc.’s resources for sports marketing is dedicated to MLS?  What other American sports is Volkswagen involved with?

Ben Freidson: We’re committed to strategic investments in sports marketing because of its ability to deliver strong value messages and build long-term relationships with key audiences. The primary focus of our strategy lies in the sport of soccer however we do have additional sports sponsorships in our portfolio. We are involved in the Chicago and Pittsburgh Marathons in the Midwest region. In addition we are the official automobile of the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center.

Michael Goldman: While Volkswagen is the official automotive partner of MLS, it is also a partner of the D.C. United club.  In addition, the German football club VFL Wolfsburg plays in the Volkswagen Arena.  Do you envision Volkswagen buying the naming rights of a specific MLS club’s stadium at any point in the future?

Ben Freidson: We will continue to explore strategic fits for the brand on a case by case basis. It is great to see soccer specific stadiums launching across the country as it only strengthens the league for the long term.

Michael Goldman: What advice would you give to college students for trying to break into the sports marketing world or other areas related to sports-business?

Ben Freidson: Keep an open-mind to different opportunities such as internships that help you get a foot in the door. Think broadly – brands, agencies, media corporations and teams all need young, well-rounded and diverse team members. Also, while the sports field is exciting to focus on each day, you cannot forget that it’s called “sports business” for a reason.  Especially in these times, working hard to make the connection from program and sports engagements back to communications goals, sales, results and bottom line is critical.  It’s the reason why brands leverage the power of sports.  Demonstrating that you understand the business side well could make you stand out as a candidate.

There are different routes into the sports business field, remember to stay optimistic and display your commitment and passion for making a difference.

Interview with Ben Freidson, Manager of Sports Marketing at Volkswagen from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules