The size and virtual positioning of Adidas’ logo around the halfway line during the MLS is Back Tournament initially caused quite a stir among soccer enthusiasts. But for the league sponsor, the positioning has already paid off, according to Chicago-based Navigate Research. The data and analytics firm tracked Adidas’ exposure for the tournament’s first two matches, and it estimated that the value of the logo is $75,000-100,000 per match. Over the 51-match tournament, Adidas would receive $3.8-5.1M in value. Navigate’s senior MLS analyst/consultant Kevin Kane: "Virtual logo integration could be a marquee asset for regional broadcasts in which teams would now have the ability to rotate partners on prominent on-field positions and deliver higher TV exposure. The virtual logo integration is not new to sports, but the jolt from COVID-19 has brought technological advancements to center stage, some of which will continue once fans are back in seats.” Heat Dir of Corporate Partnerships Anthony Perez wrote on Twitter: "Logo placement is the price of admission during a pandemic. No gate revenue & lots of deliverables outstanding means corp revenue needs to be protected. Adidas pays MLS $117 mill a year, they got center pitch. We’ll get used to it by next match."
