Industry News

StubHub’s pioneering 76ers kit is launched

The new StubHub-sponsored Philadelphia 76ers kit has been unveiled following the announcement last year that the ticketing company had become the first brand to sign a shirt sponsorship deal with a major US sports team.

The launch marks the first occasion the 2½-by-2½-inch StubHub jersey patch has appeared on the 76ers’ jerseys, following the team’s May 2016 announcement that it had signed partner StubHub as the NBA’s first jersey patch sponsor. It was the first kit sponsorship in the history of ‘big four’ sports in North America.

The launch of two new Nike kits was conducted via a digital content series on Sixers.com and StubHub’s platforms.

“StubHub is known for a history of ‘firsts’ in the live events space, and we are continuing our journey by joining Nike and the Philadelphia 76ers to launch the first, official StubHub-branded team jersey,” said Perkins Miller, StubHub general manager for North America.

“Being the first jersey sponsor in major American sports not only deepens StubHub’s strong relationship with the Sixers, but also reinforces our commitment to connect people to the teams, athletes, and performers they want to see.”

The 76ers’ two new jerseys dubbed the ‘Association Edition’ and ‘Icon Edition’, feature the team’s traditional blue, white and red branding with subtle changes that include the introduction of a hard red drop-shadow behind the iconic “PHILA” lettering and player numbers.

Chris Heck, Philadelphia 76ers chief sales and marketing officer, said. “We’re excited to unveil the first of two jerseys with our incredible partner, StubHub, an organisation as committed to engaging with fans in authentic ways and generating unforgettable live sports and entertainment experiences as we are.”

StubHub last year launched a new dedicated site for the 76ers as it moved into the primary ticketing market for the first time. In an exclusive interview with The Ticketing Business at the time, Jake Reynolds, the 76ers’ senior vice president of ticket sales and service, said: “This platform is about ease and convenience, whether you are on a large or small screen. It is one-stop shopping with all primary and secondary tickets conveniently located in a single marketplace.”

In June it was announced that the 76ers has already broken its season ticket record with 14,000 passes sold ahead of the 2017-18 season, which begins in October.

IMAGE: Sixers.com