Philadelphia 76ers become first NBA team to sell jersey space

Fans rooting for players wearing the team name Philadelphia 76ers on their jerseys also will soon be rooting for players wearing the StubHub logo on their jerseys.

Last month the NBA approved the sale of jersey sponsorships in a three-year pilot program starting with the 2017-18 season. On Monday the 76ers announced the first such deal, which will place a small, rectangular StubHub patch on the upper left portion of the front side of the jerseys.

“I’ve always been jealous of the English Premier League teams. NASCAR figured it out a long time ago,” 76ers CEO Scott O’Neil said. “For some reason, the big four sports in North America have not. I think it’s an unbelievable opportunity.”

The patch will appear on players’ jerseys as well as those sold at 76ers home games. Nike, which takes over as the league’s official outfitter also in 2017-18, also will place its logo on players’ jerseys, on the upper right side.

StubHub is already the 76ers’ official ticketing partner, and the two organizations are launching a new platform on which primary and secondary tickets will be available at one online location.

“We’re so tightly associated with the event-going experience that it was natural for us to move aggressively and chase this opportunity,” StubHub President Scott Cutler said.

The new-look jerseys will be on display outside the National Constitution Center on Monday morning.