The San Diego Padres announced a deal with Motorola on Tuesday that will include a jersey patch with the phone manufacturer's logo.

The Padres will wear the circular patches starting in 2023. The patch will be located on the right sleeve and appears to be roughly the size of a baseball.

“We are thrilled to partner with a quintessential and innovative brand like Motorola to bring cutting-edge technology, design, and performance to Petco Park,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement. “Motorola’s iconic logo on our jersey is a perfect alignment with our Padres brand, and we look forward to teaming up to provide a great experience for our fans.”

MLB and the players association agreed to introduce jersey advertising in the latest collective bargaining agreement. The NBA was the first major North American sports league to allow ads on jerseys, which started appearing during the 2017-18 season. NHL jerseys will include patches starting next season.

(Photo: Courtesy San Diego Padres)

What do these deals bring in?

Bill Shea, sports business senior writer: These are advertising deals on some of the most visible elements of the game — uniform sleeves that appear on TV, in photos, across social media, etc. And because the ad inventory is limited, they command a premium.

In the NBA, the Warriors’ first deal — with Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten — was a $100 million spread over five years, and the league’s overall patch revenue this season alone is expected to his $225 million, per Boardroom. MLB ad patch deal size will depend on the team, its market size and popularity, and the brand, among other factors.

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Should we expect every team to get a patch deal?

Shea: While teams are not obligated to sell jersey real estate, the economics suggest that most or all teams will. The question is, does fan blowback mean more than millions of dollars? Only club owners and top executives can decide.

And MLB itself has a deal with cryptocurrency exchange FTX that put its logo on MLB uniforms starting last season. Batting helmet ads will be sold by MLB itself as national sponsorship deals.

hellomoto.
Introducing the newest Padres partner, @motorolaus! Jersey patch coming in 2023.

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 19, 2022