Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Add AutoNation Ad Patch to Jersey
The Florida Panthers are the latest team to include advertising on their jerseys, signing South Florida based auto magnate AutoNation to a three-year deal.
AutoNation, which was founded by original Panthers owner H. Wayne Huizenga, will have their patch on road jerseys starting Thursday on Long Island.
The team is currently working on landing home jersey sponsors as well as a new naming rights partner for FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.
Amerant Bank has sponsored Florida’s helmets this season.
Sports Business Journal was first to report the patch deal.
The Panthers are certainly not the first team to have a jersey sponsorship after the NHL approved such revenue-raising initiatives for this season in following the NBA for allowing ads on game uniforms.
Florida is the 12th team to have at least one of their jerseys sport a sponsorship patch — and the only ones to only have them on their road jerseys.
While some teams have both road and home jerseys sponsored, others only have them on their home ones.
PANTHERS ON DECK
FLORIDA PANTHERS AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS
- When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
- Where: UBS Arena; Elmont, N.Y.
- TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+
- Radio: WQAM 560-AM/SiriusXM
- Last season: Florida won 3-0
- All-time regular season series: Panthers lead 54-32-11, 8 ties
At the very least we have the Huizenga connection, and the logo is rather unobtrusive. The optics of a Waste Management sponsorship, however…
How about, just for laughs and the Huizenga connection, we put the now defunct “Blockbuster” logo on there as well.