Oct 29 (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association will
break with tradition and place a sponsored corporate logo on
player jerseys during the next two All-Star games, the league
said on Thursday.
A 3.25-inch-by-1.6-inch patch with a Kia Motors
000270.KS logo will be on the upper left chest of the jerseys
for the 2016 game in Toronto and 2017 game in Charlotte, North
Carolina, the NBA said.
The logo was part of a deal between Kia Motors America and
Turner Sports, the NBA said.
Neither the NBA, Kia Motors nor Turner Sports TWX.N would
reveal the financial terms of the deal.
While logos are commonplace in NASCAR and soccer and are on
Women's National Basketball Association uniforms, the four major
North American men's sports had all previously banned corporate
logos on jerseys - other than the clothing manufacturer - for
games played in the United States and Canada.
The uniforms of the now-defunct National Football League
Europa featured corporate logos, but they have always been
banned for NFL games played in North America, the league said.
Major League Baseball said it has had logos on helmets and
arm patches for World Baseball Classic and MLB games outside the
United States and Canada.
National Hockey League teams have been able to put corporate
sponsorships on their practice jerseys, but not on game jerseys,
a league spokesman said.