NBA teams to sell ads on the court and backboards next season, according to report

The NBA has approved teams selling advertisements on the court in front of team benches and on the top of the backboards for the 2013-14 season, according to the SportsBusiness Journal’s John Lombardo.

Lombardo reports that there are no specific valuations assigned to these new sales areas yet, which until now have been limited to team branding. One team executive says that the deals could range anywhere from mid six figures to $2 million annually, with the value of the signage likely varying depending on the market.

The new deals will be sold locally, but any corporate branding will be removed for national broadcasts. There are currently no leaguewide sales efforts planned for the new spaces.

The 2013-14 season will act as a trial run for the advertisements, as any multi-year deals will be subject to review after the year for possible changes.

The decision to add this advertising space is the latest effort made by the NBA to help give teams more revenue streams. There has also been talk of placing advertisements on jerseys, but those discussions have been shelved for the time being.

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