Atlanta Hawks Tap Excel for Jersey Patch Sponsor Search
The Atlanta Hawks are searching for their first NBA championship in 65 years. They’re also looking for a new jersey patch sponsor.
The Hawks have hired Excel Sports Management Properties division to secure the next jersey patch partner as the team looks to build on recent successes on and off the court.
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The team’s current patch deal with Sharecare, the Atlanta-based health and wellness company, co-founded by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, expires after this season, although the company will remain as a team sponsor. Sharecare (SHCR: NASDAQ), which went public last year, has been the Hawks’ only patch sponsor since the NBA approved the pilot program back in 2017.
But fortune has changed since then for the Hawks, as they’ve gone from rebuilding to emerging. They reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2021 and are looking for their third straight postseason appearance behind star guard Trae Young, who this season will be joined by recently acquired All-Star guard Dejounte Murray. The Hawks will also lean on star forward John Collins and center Onyeka Okongqu, who are both represented by Excel.
The team’s resurgence has resulted in wider exposure, including 18 nationally televised games this season (including NBA TV). The elevated profile has also reverberated internationally for the Hawks, who recently played in the Abu Dhabi Games.
Locally, the team saw solid TV ratings on Bally Sports South, averaging a .98 household (HH) share during the 2020-2021 season. Last season the HH numbers slipped to an average of .94, but that was due, in part, to the Atlanta Braves’ World Series run, which siphoned early season attention.
The Hawks, who play in blackest big city in the nation, have their unique fanbase on their side as they connect corporate partners with one the league’s youngest and most diverse audiences. A 70% increase in brand sentiment is expected for the Hawks’ next patch partner, according to Excel Analytics.
The increase in overall visibility is expected to yield a higher sponsorship fee for the Hawks, potentially landing them in the top tier of deals. However, they’re still likely to trail the biggest deals in the NBA, which belong to teams like the Golden State Warriors (Rakuten), Los Angeles Lakers (Bibigo) and Philadelphia 76ers (Crypto.com). The New York Knicks, who are also looking for a new jersey patch sponsor, are another high-visibility team hitting the market at the same time.
Patch deals range on average between $7 million to $10 million per season. The NBA projected $225 million in combined jersey patch value last year, and it has become a steady revenue source for teams. The Hawks are the latest to work with Excel, which has done patch deals for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and 76ers.
