The project for the centralized sale of rights, such as the uniforms of the Liga MX teams, opens a new front that regulates the sponsorship visible on the shirts.
The pandemic affected the finances of the teams of the First Division and in this situation the chairman of the Liga MX, Mikel Arriola, recognized ESPN that one of the proposals they are analyzing is that a single brand is seen for all teams thus guaranteeing a greater income for each of the 18 clubs. This situation will have to open up the regulation that could benefit any squad.
Francisco San José, a professor of sports marketing at Anahuac University’s School of Sports Sciences, pointed out ESPN Digital that the idea could basically benefit each of the teams as they will all receive a reasonable percentage, but first they should abolish the commercial similarities that exist between the different clothing brands that dress each of the institutions.
“That’s a charity scheme. The agreements have different validity and there are agreements that end or if there are agreements in force and show some financial. It’s a complicated legal issue, but there is a possibility and the sum of them will make more money than what they can get with trademarks, ”he said.
For the specialist, the biggest disadvantage is between the clubs that sell more shirts year after year and for that they have to have a bonus that generates more resources compared to the clubs that have fewer fans with a centralized sale of rights, in this case of uniforms.
“Usually everything is divided into two parts. One hundred percent of T-shirt sales are split in half. A percentage that is fixed for everyone. For example, 70 percent is shared by everyone, but the other 30 percent can be variable. Depending on the number of shirts sold, the number of fans and other factors are divided. Those who sell more earn more than the rest of the percentage and those who sell less because they get fewer variables. The fixed part makes it fair. Those who contribute the most to the business are the ones who receive the most, ”he said.
Another aspect that generates controversy during any tournament is the number of sponsors each club shows on the jersey fabric. While León has nine sponsors on his jersey, Chivas has five. This can cause a conflict with the commercial partners and for that they have to regulate the number of brands each can have in their uniform.
“In the case of competitions there are rules and this is comparable to the number of sponsors a team can have on its shirt. With the pandemic and economic consequences, the leagues have loosened up and restrictions on sponsorships have eased. MLS has released the cover issue, this was due to the fact that due to the pandemic, teams can negotiate with certain sponsors, but they are counted, ”he said.
For example, the NBA allows only one sponsor on the shirt, while for the NFL kits only the brand that makes the kits is visible.