ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Magic announced Tuesday morning that Walt Disney World has agreed to sponsor the basketball team with a Disney logo patch on player's jerseys.
Joining six other teams in the NBA's pilot program to test advertisements on jerseys, the Magic become the only team in Florida to have the patch, joining the 76ers, Nets, Kings, Jazz, Celtics and Cavaliers.
The 2 1/2-inch-by-2 1/2-inch patch on the front left of the jersey will appear beginning in the 2017-18 season.
“With Orlando as our hometown, magic has always been a key strand of our DNA,” Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a news release. “This expanded agreement with Disney brings our story full circle and represents the coming together of two dynamic organizations that have become synonymous with Orlando.”
The three-year agreement lasts for the length of the testing pilot program, and the contract does include the chance for both parties to renew if the NBA continues the program after the 2019-20 season.
Courtesy Orlando Magic
“At Walt Disney World Resort, we naturally believe in all things magic and are happy to support our hometown team,” said George A. Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “This long-term relationship symbolizes our shared focus of solidifying Orlando as a world class city for sports.”
In addition to the sponsorship, Disney will also be building a larger presence at the Amway Center by adding a special seating and hospitality area. The area will be used for annual pass-holder upgrades during certain Magic home games.
According to Forbes, the Boston Celtics rank at the top with the biggest deal in the program, bringing in approximately $8 million a year over the three-year program, partnering with General Electric.
The Brooklyn Nets tie with the Celtics, also with $8 million a year, partnering with Infor, according to Forbes. The Cleveland Cavaliers reached a deal with Goodyear that Forbes reported is between $5 million and $10 million a year.
Both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Sacramento Kings came in around $5 million as stated in the Forbes article. With the 76ers partnering with StubHub and the Kings teaming up with Blue Diamond Growers, the Utah Jazz came in at $4 million for its deal with Qualtrics. It's the cheapest of the seven deals, according to Forbes.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Martins declined to name the exact value at which the deal came for the Magic.