Utah
Utah company LiveView Technologies new Jazz jersey patch sponsor
Estimated read time: 4-5
minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Get used to seeing a new logo on the Utah Jazz jerseys. No, the team hasn’t gone through another rebrand, but they do have a new jersey patch sponsor.
The team announced Thursday that Utah-based LiveView Technologies will be the new patch partner. The agreement is a multi-year deal for the small space on the left side of the jersey.
“I’m thrilled that it’s another Utah brand,” Jazz chief commercial officer Chris Barney said. “I believe we’re going to be able to help them take their business to the next level. They’ve got an incredible story, and we’re going to get the opportunity to help another Utah company.”
In 2017-18, the NBA followed the trend set by soccer leagues worldwide by selling advertisement space on jerseys. Those deals have brought it millions in additional revenue for franchises — the Brooklyn Nets’ deal with WeBull is reportedly worth $30 million per season, the most lucrative in the league.
It’s believed the average jersey patch deal is around $10 million per season. Details for Utah’s deal with LVT weren’t released.
LiveView Technologies is based in American Fork and specializes in security surveillance systems. The company’s systems have been used by local governments, private retailers, and construction companies, among many others.
Even though the jersey patch has been around for six seasons now, the local company will be the first to use the Jazz jersey as a true ad.
Qualtrics — which originally partnered with the Jazz on the patch in 2017, years before co-founder Ryan Smith became the team owner — donated the patch to its charity arm, 5 For The Fight. The Jazz fan base rallied around the cause, which led to over $50 million being raised for cancer research.
LVT isn’t shying away from the patch’s goodwill history, though.
“They immediately were like, ‘We need this to be like a baton passing,’” Barney said. “They went and they signed all their employees up for the 5 for the Fight program. They’re donating 100 tickets on opening night to cancer-fighting families and want to continue the legacy of what 5 for the Fight is. As you’re looking for the ideal partner to take the baton of what it means to be on the patch, just their whole approach and mentality about being focused on communities was an absolute home run.”
In the current marketplace, even finding a deal for the patch could be considered a success. There are currently four teams without a jersey patch sponsor — the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies — and some of those have been looking for a deal for over a season now.
“It’s a market that, just with current economic circumstances, I think, has been difficult for a lot of teams,” Barney said.
Barney said the Bulls even made a pitch to a Utah company when it looked for a new patch partner ahead of last season. Barney said he remembers going to the CEO’s office and being shown a Chicago Bulls jersey with the company’s logo on it.
As for the Jazz, they didn’t get too aggressive in finding a new partner until after the season ended.
“We were pretty selective,” Barney said. “I would say we didn’t really go with the shotgun approach.”
The team used data from the league to identify potential partners and then had conversations with multiple brands. Eventually, they struck a deal with the American Fork-based company.
“We were not beholden to it being a Utah company,” Barney said. “But I think just as we kind of initially started to look at a list of people to go to, we all thought the storytelling around another Utah brand, helping them build their employee base, recruit new employees, and grow their revenues. We were all super interested in getting a partner from Utah.”
LVT, which started in 2005, is “excited” about what the added exposure can do for its own brand.
“We’re excited to join the Jazz community,” said Ryan Porter, CEO, president, and co-founder of LVT. “By having LVT serve as the team’s jersey patch partner, it will propel our organization’s growth and recognition across Utah and beyond. We believe in Utah, and we’re proud to represent this state.”