I always wondered why NFL teams didn't have shirt sponsorship, or other things like pitchside advertising but when you look at these numbers and stack them against the amount of money coming in through the TV deals you realise that it's all kind of peanuts. I would imagine the NFL sells it's TV rights based upon an advertsing free product, where the broadcasters can chose whom they partner with, like the Verizon red zone or the tools to the success presented by Home Depot. It's a whole different approach, I wonder if the PL will eventually go down that route themselves.
You're going to see jersey sponsorships become the norm in the NBA before they start coming off PL shirts. And once the NBA does it you'll likely see the floodgates open with the other American leagues.
No. It's already in MLS. Maybe NHL. Will never happen in baseball. Not needed in the NFL.
MLS doesn't count because it's the global norm in the sport. I didn't even realize when I posted the above, but six NBA teams announced yesterday they will have corporate patches on their jerseys next season.
When you say "not needed in the NFL," are you referring to the gobs of money they already make? Since when has that stopped them milking anything they can for every last penny? And now that they may actually commit to shorter commercial breaks to improve the flow of games they are going to be looking for new revenue sources.
Their (the NFL) TV money deal runs through 2022, they won't be scrambling any time soon.
Also I think there would be a huge fan outcry if sponsorship was put on uniforms. Which some may snidely question, given our American unblinking acceptance of it everywhere else in daily life. It's seen as some kind of last bastion of purity though. Won't happen in our lifetimes.