Red Sox To Wear Uniform Advertisements in 2023

The Boston Red Sox jerseys will look a little bit different in 2023. On Wednesday, the Red Sox became the first MLB team to announce they will wear advertisements on their uniforms next season, as the team will sport a patch from life insurance company MassMutual on its sleeves.

“Our job is to grow the game and that includes growing the revenue opportunity which ultimately gets reinvested into players and into our ballparks and facilities,” said Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy about the news.  It was reported in July the MassMutual would be paying $17 million annually for their real estate on the Sox’s jerseys.

The MLB collective bargaining agreement that was agreed on before the 2022 season allowed for the possibility of teams to wear ads on their uniforms, and it’s only a matter of time before other teams follow suit in the coming weeks and months.

Earlier this year, Sports Business Journal reported that Oak View Group, a group “renowned for its expertise in stadium and arena naming-rights pacts” was selling the Mets ad patches, and expected to sell them for between $15 and $20 million.

Ads on jerseys are not uncommon in other American sports. The NBA and MLS have displayed advertisements on jerseys for years, but they have not invaded MLB uniforms until now. The NHL also began incorporating advertisements on jerseys ahead of the 2022-23 season.