Adidas Reaps Benefits Of Virtual Logo In MLS Is Back Tournament

The size and virtual positioning of Adidas’ logo around the halfway line during the MLS is Back Tournament initially caused quite a stir among soccer enthusiasts. But for the league sponsor, the positioning has already paid off, according to Chicago-based Navigate Research. The data and analytics firm tracked Adidas’ exposure for the tournament’s first two matches, and it estimated that the value of the logo is $75,000-100,000 per match. Over the 51-match tournament, Adidas would receive $3.8-5.1M in value. Navigate’s senior MLS analyst/consultant Kevin Kane: "Virtual logo integration could be a marquee asset for regional broadcasts in which teams would now have the ability to rotate partners on prominent on-field positions and deliver higher TV exposure. The virtual logo integration is not new to sports, but the jolt from COVID-19 has brought technological advancements to center stage, some of which will continue once fans are back in seats.” Heat Dir of Corporate Partnerships Anthony Perez wrote on Twitter: "Logo placement is the price of admission during a pandemic. No gate revenue & lots of deliverables outstanding means corp revenue needs to be protected. Adidas pays MLS $117 mill a year, they got center pitch. We’ll get used to it by next match."