Sponsors And Sports

Sponsors and Sports

In the world of sports, everything from the cups the athletes drink from to the stadiums they play in is up for grabs. The four major sports are a playing field for the teams as well as major companies hoping to influence the public.

While there are some positives and negatives to sponsors, a line has to be drawn somewhere. The four major sports, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball

Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League all generate millions of dollars from sponsors each year. Individual athletes themselves command large endorsement contracts that in many cases exceed their own salaries. And although the heads of these sports try to limit the influence of companies, they are still a major part of every game played. One of the more widely known sponsors of sports is Nike. Their rivalry with Reebok and other shoe and apparel companies is seen on television and on the playing field.

Advertising their company is the major concern when displaying their logos in sports. Beverages, fast foods, credit cards, automobiles and a wide variety of companies spend their money on sports related ventures. They spend big dollars to name stadiums and arenas after their companies. Television gives these companies even more chances to influence the public with commercials that companies might sometimes pay up to $1 million for. The uniforms that the players wear are now being made my different manufacturers whereas five years ago each league had all their teams wearing the same brand. The equipment being used is also made by different companies. No matter what is being fought for, sponsors create good and bad influences in each sport. Major League Baseball is recognized as the most popular sport. They also play the most games which is a plus to sponsors. Each game is seen as a chance to spread word of their company.

But MLB seems to be the least affected team wise by sponsors. This is probably because of the strict rules set forth and also because of recent work stoppages and labor disputes. MLB was once the leader in innovative ideas involving sponsors. Billboards are placed around the stadium in strategic spots that will be noticed by fans and television. Stadiums are now being renamed by companies willing to spend millions to have the stadium named after the company such as

3Com Park in San Francisco. These short term deals can create a problem in the future though. Athletes are not as widely chosen for endorsement contracts as in other sports. This is probably because many players cannot make a huge