The Washington Nationals Are Finally Selling Stadium Naming Rights And Jersey Sponsorships
The Washington Nationals Are Finally Selling Stadium Naming Rights And Jersey Sponsorships
Blog Article
Among Major League Baseball’s 30 teams, 21 have stadium naming rights deals with a corporate partner. When it comes to jersey patch sponsorships—the brand logos that adorn uniform sleeves and have been permitted in baseball the last two seasons—23 clubs have agreements in place. Only one team has never had either: the Washington Nationals.
That could soon change.
The Nationals have hired New York City-based marketing and talent representation agency Excel Sports Management to take both sponsor slots to market, with initial conversations with potential partners having begun in January. The two sales processes will proceed largely independently, but hopes are high that contracts can be signed this year—perhaps even midseason. Together, the sponsorships could be worth more than $20 million annually to the Nationals, Forbes estimates.
“Summertime is when the Nats are top of mind for our fan base, and we think that’s the perfect time to make an announcement,” Mike Carney, the Nationals’ chief revenue officer, tells Forbes exclusively. In that scenario, patches would begin appearing on jerseys almost immediately, and temporary signage would be installed on the stadium currently known as Nationals Park within a few weeks. More permanent signage would be in place for opening day next year.
On the surface, it may not be the most obvious time to pursue these deals. Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Washington’s annual attendance has hovered around 2 million—down about 20% from 2018—and Nationals Park is now 17 years old. Meanwhile, six years after winning the World Series, Washington is coming off four straight seasons with at least 91 losses.
But pandemic restrictions that kept fans out of ballparks entirely in 2020 and limited attendance in 2021 prevented the Nationals from capitalizing financially on their championship run, and while Washington is currently going through an on-field rebuild, the organization is bullish about an exciting young core featuring outfielders Dylan Crews and James Wood and All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Also fueling the optimism are plans the Nationals unveiled in January to upgrade their ballpark and the surrounding area with funding from the D.C. Council. One other plus: The team is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Washington this year, which could offer a public-relations lift for any corporate partner jumping on the bandwagon amid the festivities.
Carney acknowledges that Washington has pursued a stadium deal in the past, saying that ultimately “the brands weren’t the right fit.” This time around, any partner would need to demonstrate “shared values,” he says, such as a commitment to the local community and support for the military.