Negotiations between Reebok Int'l and the NFL on a
major licensing deal are "nearing a climax," with NFL Exec
VP Roger Goodell "presenting a proposed agreement" to owners
on the NFLP exec committee last week in N.Y., according to
sources of Andy Bernstein of the SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL.
The proposal "contains some unusual components, including
one that would allow teams to control retail distribution"
in their respective markets, meaning teams could decide
which stores carry their products and which ones could not.
Bernstein notes that the provision could "potentially
[drive] sponsorship dollars from retailers." But several
licensing industry sources told Bernstein that they "would
not be surprised" if team distribution rights are "dropped
from the final contract, but they expect to see some sort of
individual team incentives remain." Meanwhile, details of
the proposal calls for Reebok to become the on-field
licensee of 21 teams next season "and every club in
subsequent years," while Champion and adidas would have five
teams each in '01 (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/11 issue).
