Union's Tim McDermott Gives More Details On MLS Sleeve Sponsorships

Union Chief Business Officer Tim McDermott said  MLS in '19 potentially allowing teams to sell sleeve sponsorships  is "something that the league is evaluating," but said he thinks it would "have to be a different" company than a team's front-of-shirt sponsor, according to Jonathan Tannenwald of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. McDermott confirmed MLS is "looking at the sleeves" as space for potential sponsors and believes it will be "mandated by MLS" that the sleeve and chest sponsors be different. McDermott had previously said that teams in '19 would be able to "display different brands from the same company on their home and away jerseys." He noted a company like Bimbo Bakeries, the Union's jersey sponsor, that has multiple brands, could "put brand A, say Thomas' (English muffins) on the home (jersey), then they could put brand B on the road (jersey), Entemann's or Bimbo or whatever it may be." He said the idea is "something that's intriguing" to Bimbo. McDermott: "If you think about it from the standpoint of a company like Bimbo that has a lot of different brands, you can see how that can have a lot of value for them" ( PHILLY.com, 10/19 ).