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Buying an NBA Jersey in a Store Is About to Get More Expensive
Beginning with the 2017-2018 season, so-called replica jerseys will only be sold on the league’s website and by online retailer Fanatics
A detail shot of a jersey worn by Cleveland Cavaliers #23 LeBron James. The NBA’s lowest-priced jerseys will only be sold online starting next season.
A detail shot of a jersey worn by Cleveland Cavaliers #23 LeBron James. The NBA’s lowest-priced jerseys will only be sold online starting next season. PHOTO: RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES
By Sara Germano
Jan. 16, 2017 6:03 a.m. ET
9 COMMENTS
The National Basketball Association will cease distributing its lowest-priced jerseys to sporting-goods chains beginning next season, the latest shift as sportswear makers aim to sell directly to consumers.
Beginning with the 2017-2018 season, so-called replica NBA jerseys will only be sold on the league’s website and by online retailer Fanatics, which will manufacture the jerseys. Higher-priced jerseys, similar to those worn on-court by players, will be manufactured by Nike Inc. and sold through its retail partners.
Major sports leagues offer different versions of jerseys, ranging from expensive “authentic” ones that are most similar to those worn by players, to replicas, which are typically screen-printed on different fabrics. The NBA also sells midprice “swingman” jerseys, which have most of the same features as player kits but with more simplified stitching.
Replica NBA jerseys currently made by Adidas AG ADDYY -1.39% cost about $70, while swingman jerseys are priced at $110, and the on-court jerseys fetch $300. The NBA said pricing under the new arrangement hasn’t been finalized. Industry trackers say replica jerseys account for the bulk of sales at sporting-good stores.
Nike, meanwhile, is expected to present its initial NBA jersey designs to retailers beginning this week . The company said it doesn’t plan to produce sleeved jerseys, a style debuted by Adidas in 2013 that received mixed reviews from players and fans.
HOW THE NBA DEFINES AUTHENTIC
Authentic:
“The authentic jersey features the same fabrications and embellishments worn by players on-court but offered in regular apparel sizing.”
Current retail price: $300
2016/17 Manufacturer: Adidas
2017/18 Manufacturer: Nike
Swingman:
“The swingman jersey includes nearly all of the same visuals as an authentic jersey but integrates a consistent performance mesh fabrication and one layer twill wordmark, name and number applications.”
Current retail price: $110
2016/17 Manufacturer: Adidas
2017/18 Manufacturer: Nike
Replica:
“The replica jersey is a screen-printed derivation of the jersey that highlights basic inserts and design elements.”
Current retail price: $70
2016/17 Manufacturer: Adidas
2017/18 Manufacturer: Fanatics
Source: The NBA
The league’s decision to sell replica jerseys solely through Fanatics poses another challenge for traditional brick-and-mortar sporting-goods retailers. ****’s Sporting Goods Inc., DKS -4.24% the industry leader, has moved to expand its apparel assortment amid declines in sales of sports equipment. ****’s didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The majority of revenue from licensed sports apparel sold at sporting-goods chains, which totaled about $500 million last year, comes from replica jerseys, according to Neil Schwartz, a vice president at industry tracker SportsOneSource.
Mr. Schwartz said modern-day free agency, which allows prominent players to switch teams during their careers, has diminished demand for pricey on-court jerseys. “If there’s a possibility you might have to buy a new one in a year, I might be a little hesitant to buy a $300, $400 jersey,” he said.
Sal LaRocca, president of global partnerships at the NBA, said the league’s own data, supplied by current jersey manufacturer Adidas, indicated that swingman jerseys tend to sell better than replicas.
Mr. LaRocca said the league’s new distribution model takes into account the rapidly changing consumer demand for jerseys. In the past, he said, “in order for the retailer to keep up with a spike in demand, you’d have to hope the retailer has enough in supply, hope the manufacturer has enough spare parts to assemble the jersey. We didn’t think that hope was a good strategy coming forward.”
As part of the deal, Fanatics will make and distribute all NBA replica jerseys, as well as those for the WNBA and the NBA Development League. The company also operates the league’s e-commerce site, NBAStore.com.
Fanatics recently signed similar replica-jersey deals with the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, which will begin with the 2017-2018 and 2020 seasons, respectively. Under the MLB deal, Under Armour Inc. UAA -1.95% will make on-field uniforms, while Fanatics will make and distribute all licensed jerseys sold to fans.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/buying...ore-is-about-to-get-more-expensive-1484564581