Our President, Jeff Nelson, joined Abe Madkour on SBJ Spotlight to share our insights on the NHL’s new jersey patch announcement.

Teams will be allowed to sell a patch that is 25% larger than the existing helmet decal, and 50-70% more valuable due to increased exposure and the fact that the patch will be on jerseys sold to fans.

Interestingly, clubs are also exploring splitting up their home and away patches. This would allow local or regional partners to sponsor the home patch, while larger brands could capture the national audience with the away patch.

One key question for teams will be whether to be aggressive and be among the first to announce a deal, or to move slowly and seek the best fit for the given situation. Jeff’s advice is that larger teams with strong followings should strive to be first, but smaller teams should wait if possible. If the smaller teams announce their deals first, they risk setting a benchmark that could harm negotiations for the rest of the clubs.

Watch the SBJ Spotlight panel here.