The Premier League authorized sponsorship branding on shirt sleeves "in a move sponsorship experts claim could see a greater influx of betting companies in the game," according to Tony Connelly of THE DRUM. Mirroring the "commercial ploy used in other European Leagues," the English top flight will now "allow clubs to sell the rights to their left shirt sleeve" from the start of the '17-18 season. Octagon SVP Joel Seymour-Hyde said, "This type of inventory is primarily predicated around brand exposure because it's on shirt inventory so the type of companies we can expect to see going for this are the ones who place a value on brand exposure rather than those who place more value on marketing rights as such." Despite the int'l popularity of the Premier League, its lower-tier clubs "struggle to attract the big global brands." The business models of betting companies mean that "brand exposure alone is enough to tip the balance" in their favor. Sports agency Sporting Group Int'l reportedly "already brokered a deal with eight clubs in the league to sell the rights for their kit's sleeve to a yet to be named sponsor" (THE DRUM, 3/1).
