Indiana Pacers Become First NBA Team to Sell Courtside Advertisements, Will Appear in Front of Home, Away Benches

The Indiana Pacers will unveil some new artwork on their court this season.

The Pacers have become the first of 30 NBA teams to sell courtside advertisements that will appear on their hardwood inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The team has partnered up with the Indiana Economic Development Corp., signing a deal that will have the company’s slogan, rather than their name, be emblazoned on the court.

The slogan, “A State that Works” will appear in front of the home and visiting team benches, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal, and the advertisements will make their debut on Oct. 16 as the Pacers take on the Mavericks in a preseason game.

NBA owners voted in June to allow corporate sponsors’ names on only those two areas. The IEDC is reportedly paying seven figures over two years for the valuable real estate, with the understanding that the NBA has the right to remove the ads during nationally broadcast games on ESPN and TNT.

“If this campaign increases the state’s brand and helps draw more business here, that gives us more potential clients to sell sponsorships, suites and club seats to,” Todd Taylor, Pacers senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer, said. “… This deal reinforces our brand and their brand. We’re the only NBA team with the name of the state where we play on our jersey.”

Photo via Twitter/@NBA

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