The Washington Nationals Are Finally Selling Stadium Naming Rights And Jersey Sponsorships

The Washington Nationals Are Finally Selling Stadium Naming Rights And Jersey Sponsorships

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The Nationals have hired New York City-based marketing and talent representation agency Excel Sports Management to take both sponsor slots to market, with initial conversations with potential partners having begun in January. The two sales processes will proceed largely independently, but hopes are high that contracts can be signed this year—perhaps even midseason. Together, the sponsorships could be worth more than $20 million annually to the Nationals, Forbes estimates.

“Summertime is when the Nats are top of mind for our fan base, and we think that’s the perfect time to make an announcement,” Mike Carney, the Nationals’ chief revenue officer, tells Forbes exclusively. In that scenario, patches would begin appearing on jerseys almost immediately, and temporary signage would be installed on the stadium currently known as Nationals Park within a few weeks. More permanent signage would be in place for opening day next year.

On the surface, it may not be the most obvious time to pursue these deals. Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Washington’s annual attendance has hovered around 2 million—down about 20% from 2018—and Nationals Park is now 17 years old. Meanwhile, six years after winning the World Series, Washington is coming off four straight seasons with at least 91 losses.

But pandemic restrictions that kept fans out of ballparks entirely in 2020 and limited attendance in 2021 prevented the Nationals from capitalizing financially on their championship run, and while Washington is currently going through an on-field rebuild, the organization is bullish about an exciting young core featuring outfielders Dylan Crews and James Wood and All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Also fueling the optimism are plans the Nationals unveiled in January to upgrade their ballpark and the surrounding area with funding from the D.C. Council. One other plus: The team is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Washington this year, which could offer a public-relations lift for any corporate partner jumping on the bandwagon amid the festivities.

Carney acknowledges that Washington has pursued a stadium deal in the past, saying that ultimately “the brands weren’t the right fit.” This time around, any partner would need to demonstrate “shared values,” he says, such as a commitment to the local community and support for the military.

These non-financial considerations aren’t trivial. The Nationals are aiming for a stadium naming deal that runs at least 20 years, and a jersey patch deal with a minimum three-year term, so any miscalculation could linger. For instance, more than a decade after the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans struck their arena deal, the Smoothie King Center remains the target of gentle fan ribbing for its name.

“You’re not just going to put any sign in the outfield; you want to have a filter for who that is,” says Martin Conway, an adjunct sports management professor at Georgetown University and former marketing executive with MLB’s Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers. “If you look at some of the early jersey patch deals that have happened in the NBA, they’ve come and gone. Why? Because there just wasn’t much staying power to the brand—and that also reflects on the team.”

Of course, the “right fit” also comes down to economics. The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly pocketing more than $20 million a year from their jersey patch deals, although a more typical fee would be closer to $7 million annually, according to Forbes estimates. Stadium naming rights deals have tended to be a little smaller—16 of the sport’s 21 ballpark agreements paid out less than $5 million in 2023, according to Forbes estimates—but those low numbers are primarily the result of timing.

Prime Real Estate: Nationals Park is located in Washington's fast-growing Navy Yard neighborhood and is surrounded by government activity.