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Bettman Says NHL Has No Plans To Advertise On Jerseys Under Adidas Deal

In officially announcing a new corporate sponsorship yesterday that makes adidas the NHL’s official on-ice uniform provider, Commissioner Gary Bettman "repeatedly insisted ... the league had no interest in selling space on its jerseys to advertisers, contradicting a rumour that has been circulating for a month or more," according to Eric Duhatschek of the GLOBE & MAIL. Bettman said, "There have been some suggesting this deal means it is inevitable there’ll be advertising on uniforms -- and that’s just not true.” Bettman said that the vast majority of NHL owners "want to maintain the status quo, when it comes to keeping ads off jerseys." He added, "Our sweaters, among all the other sports, are I think iconic, which is why I’ve previously been quoted as saying, ‘we certainly won’t be the first’ and you’d probably have to drag me, kicking and screaming (to do it), which would take a lot -- a lot, a lot -- of money.” Duhatschek notes adidas "will replace Reebok as the NHL’s jersey manufacturer" for the start of the '17-18 season, "coinciding with the league’s centennial." Separately, adidas will also "supply the uniforms" for the '16 World Cup of Hockey, to be played next September. Penguins C Sidney Crosby, Canadiens D P.K. Subban and others "are reportedly in talks to become the faces and voices of adidas’s ramped up hockey marketing plans." The NHL believes adidas’ brand awareness in Europe "meshes perfectly with its goal of growing the league’s marketing reach worldwide" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/16). Bettman said that there "is a chance the switch from Reebok to Adidas branding could occur next fall" instead of '17, considering Reebok is owned by adidas (SPORTSNET.ca, 9/15).

INCENTIVE LADEN: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ken Campbell cited a source as saying that the deal between adidas and the league is worth $200M, "with incentives and bonuses that could bump it up" to $300M. If the league "were to hit the upper target, that would mean the deal would be worth almost" $43M per season. The league’s previous deal with Reebok "was worth about" $125M over 12 years (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 9/15).

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