Sparks will wear Farmers Insurance sponsored jerseys beginning Saturday in season opener
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The Los Angeles Sparks will wear sponsored jerseys featuring Farmers Insurance in place of their team name, beginning in the season opener Saturday against the Detroit Shock at Staples Center, the team said in a statement today.
In what was termed a ‘multi-year marketing partnership,’ the recent sponsorship will involve court apparel, media and community activities. Farmers Insurance also will have involvement with ‘Sparks in Motion,’ an effort to fight childhood obesity, and ‘Inspiring Women,’ which highlights women’s achievements.
Earlier in the week, the Phoenix Mercury announced Lifelock, a Phoenix-based identity-theft protection firm, would have its company name in place of Phoenix’s team name on its jerseys. This is common practice in European professional sports (see Manchester United’s recent agreement with Aon Corp. replacing AIG as its shirt sponsor next year). But the Mercury became the first WNBA team to do so, which looks like it’s setting a precedent.
There are various news outlets that suggest other WNBA teams may follow suit. Newsday reports the New York Liberty is interested, while the Indianapolis Star says the Fever has been considering sponsor deals for three months. The Seattle Post Intelligencer mentions the Storm are also pursuing sponsorship possibilities.
Numerous columnists have already criticized these moves, with some arguing this as the latest example of crass commercialization in sports. Others credit the WNBA for its efforts to increase revenue, while dealing with a slumping economy that contributed to the Houston Comets, one of the league’s original franchises, folding this past offseason.
Nonetheless, league president Donna Orender says the league has seen increases in attendance, television ratings, jersey sales and web traffic. She said in a statement, ‘Strong brands continue to be attracted to the league, not only for its elite athletes, outstanding entertainment, and high level of play, but also for its authentic connection to communities, families, and women.’
None of the major American sports has sponsors on their jerseys, but that could change too. The Houston Chronicle says the Texans are seeking sponsorships on their practice uniforms, as are the Green Bay Packers.
In a wide-ranging press conference Thursday before Game 1 of the NBA Finals featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic, NBA Commissioner David Stern told reporters he didn’t think he’d see NBA jersey sponsorships ‘anytime soon.’
‘If you have an offer you’d like to make for the owners, I’m prepared to receive it,’ Stern said. ‘But right now, it’s not for sale in the NBA.’
As for the WNBA, however, Stern said the jersey sponsorships and its partnership with ABC/ESPN is ‘really a threshold that’s very important for them to have overcome, and it’s a very good financial league.’
‘We are very excited to be on the cutting edge of this type of sponsorship with a major sports franchise in a major market,’ Farmers Insurance Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Kelso said in a statement. ‘What made it even more attractive is that the Sparks reach a primary demographic in our marketing strategy – the women’s market – not only in L.A., but throughout our operating territory.”
--Mark Medina
Left photo: Sparks jersey at a photo shoot earlier this year. Credit: Reed Saxon/AP Photo.
Right photo: A photo illustration of what the new Sparks jersey design might look like. Credit: Los Angeles Sparks.