New jerseys: exploring the influence of NBA team jersey sponsorships on teams and sponsors

Abstract

Purpose

In 2017, the National Basketball Association (NBA) became the first major professional North American sport league to adopt jersey sponsorship. While professional leagues across the globe have allowed this practice for decades, the NBA's decision marked what may be the start of a new trend in North American sport sponsorship. With this in mind, the current study sought to assess the impact of fans' perceptions of these sponsorships on sponsor- and team-related outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

An online sample of 301 NBA fans across the United States was conducted through Amazon's MTurk.

Findings

Results exhibited the importance of sponsorship authenticity, which maintained the strongest influence on sponsor- and team-related outcomes. Brand–team fit, sponsorship familiarity and sponsorship identification were also assessed, with mixed results for each factor.

Originality/value

Results of these findings related to sponsorship authenticity and consequent practical and theoretical implications are discussed, and areas for future research are provided.

Citation

Shoffner, S., Slavich, M. and Koo, G.-Y. (2021), "New jerseys: exploring the influence of NBA team jersey sponsorships on teams and sponsors", International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 633-651. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-10-2019-0111