The most famous uniform in American sports now has a jersey sponsor. On Wednesday, the New York Yankees announced that Starr Insurance, a commercial insurer and financial services company, would be the team’s first jersey sponsor.
In the most recent collective bargaining agreement, Major League Baseball allowed teams to add sponsored patches to their uniforms beginning in the 2023 season, with commissioner Rob Manfred saying that these new partnerships would bring additional revenues to franchises as part of the new reality in sports. Nine teams adorned these patches to their sleeves, but there was always going to be a strong reaction to anything that would “taint” the pinstripes in the eyes of many in the Yankee Universe.
No financial details were made available, but it’s safe to assume that Starr paid a premium price for the sponsorship. Considering the franchise’s history, the city it plays in and its outsized impact on television viewership, the Yankees were in a position to command more for a two- or three-inch square of jersey real estate than every other team in baseball.
That said, the jersey sponsorship elicited questions from fans on social media about another program that may offend the “classic” image of the Yankees – Nike’s City Connect jerseys. Recently, principal owner Hall Steinbrenner told Michael Kay that the team hasn’t had any significant conversations about the alternate uniforms that the sportswear company has outfitted teams with in the last three seasons. However, just as every team in MLB participated in the Players’ Weekend uniforms from 2017 to 2019, a little arm twisting from the league and Nike may change Steinbrenner’s tune.
Considering that the Yankees still don’t have the last names of its players on their uniforms – though that’s not a problem when it comes to the team shop – whatever concept does make it out of Nike’s house is likely going to be as conservative as their iconic look.
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