NBA Plan to Sell Shirt Sponsorship

Golden State Warriors

The NBA will begin selling jersey sponsorships in 2017-18, becoming the first major North American sports league to put partners’ logos on players’ uniforms.

The three-year trial was approved Friday by NBA owners and will take effect when the league’s contract with Nike begins. The patches will appear on the front left of the jersey, opposite Nike’s logo, and measure about 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches.

Logos appear on international and MLS soccer jerseys, and many athletes in individual sports wear their sponsors’ attire in competition.

Commissioner Adam Silver had said this step was inevitable as an additional revenue generator. WNBA teams already have logos, and NBA clubs were wearing them on practice jerseys.

“Jersey sponsorships provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build a unique association with our teams and the additional investment will help grow the game in exciting new ways,” Silver said in a statement. “We’re always thinking about innovative ways the NBA can remain competitive in a global marketplace, and we are excited to see the results of this three-year trial.”

Major League Soccer teams began selling jersey sponsorships in 2007, and they generate more than $6m annually in revenues.

Adidas enters the final year of his contract as the NBA’s official outfitter next season. When Nike takes over, its logo will become the first on league’s jerseys.

The sponsor patch will be adjusted to fit the dimensions of each sponsor’s logo. It won’t appear in retail versions of the jerseys, but clubs can sell jerseys with sponsor patches in their team stores.

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Atleti Meet Barca for Title

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Atletico Madrid's 18-year wait for the La Liga title will go to the final weekend of the season after Diego Simeone's leaders were held by Malaga.

Atletico, who would have won the title with a win, were made to pay for a host of missed chances when Samu bundled Malaga ahead against the run of play.

Toby Alderweireld rescued the hosts with a header before Malaga's Marcos Angeleri was sent off.

Atletico will seal the league if they avoid defeat at Barcelona on Saturday.

A victory for the Catalans in that game will see them retain their title by virtue of their head-to-head record against the Madrid side.

With Barcelona drawing at Elche, Atletico would have been crowned champions of Spain for a 10th time had they beaten Malaga.

But, after a game of wasted chances and missed opportunities, an intriguing and thrilling title race will now be decided at the Nou Camp on the final day of the season.

Yet Simeone knows his side passed up a great opportunity to wrap up the league with one game to spare.

David Villa hit the woodwork in the 15th minute when he should have scored after a clever flick by Raul Garcia.

Midfielder Koke stabbed another chance wide before an unmarked Garcia headed wide from inside the six-yard area.

Atletico were made to pay for those wasted opportunities as Samu netted against the run of play after lobbing Atletico's on-loan Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois in the 65th minute.

Suddenly, a sell-out Vicente Calderon crowd fell silent before defender Alderweireld salvaged Atletico's unbeaten home record in the league this season with a 74th-minute free header.

Malaga defender Angeleri, who had earlier been booked, was sent off two minutes from the end of normal time following a second yellow card as the hosts piled forward in search of a winner.

Substitute Adrian Lopez thought he had won Atletico the title with a curling shot in stoppage time.

But, in keeping with this absorbing title race, his goal-bound effort was dramatically tipped over by Willy Caballero, the Malaga keeper's save ensuring the identity of the 2013-14 champions of Spain will not be known until the last day.

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Chase Ends after Villa Leg Break

Premier League clubs Chelsea and Liverpool have been forced to call off their pursuit of Barcelona man David Villa after the striker suffered a broken shinbone.

The 30-year-old was carried off on a stretcher six minutes before half-time in Barca's 4-0 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final win against Al Sadd after appearing to land awkwardly.

The Catalan club confirmed soon after on their website that Spain's all-time record scorer had 'suffered a fracture to the tibia in his left leg'.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola yesterday dismissed Spanish media reports linking Villa with a move away from the Nou Camp in the January transfer window.

Spanish sports newspaper Marca claimed the player was ready to move on from Barca just 19 months into the four-year deal agreed following his 40million euro transfer from Valencia.

The speculation over the Spain international's future appears to have sprung from Guardiola's decision to omit the forward from his starting line-up for Saturday's 3-1 Clasico victory against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Marca suggested Villa had been made available for transfer and already touted to 'the great English clubs, mainly Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa', but Guardiola insisted the speculation was nonsense.

Speaking to reporters in Japan ahead of the Al Sadd game, Guardiola claimed: 'Marca lie. I have not spoken to David after the last match in Madrid, but all of the players are in my plans.

'I am the one who comes up with 25 different line-ups during the season because I feel that is the best thing to do.

'Most of the players that are here now will continue for the rest of this season and the next.'

Villa has scored five times in 15 Primera Division matches this season, following on from his 18 goals in 34 games as Barca won the league title last term. He has made 75 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 32 goals.