Philadelphia 76ers President: "The US is learning from Europe"

It’s been a historic day for the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers franchise becoming the first to sign a jersey sponsorship deal.

The deal – with ticketing and events firm StubHub – follows the news earlier this year that the NBA would be the first Major League Sports franchise in the US to allow jersey sponsorship.

Scott O’Neil is the CEO of the 76ers, he believes that America is starting to catch-up with Europe in terms of sponsorship.

He said: "We have a lot to learn from Europe in this area, it’s something I’ve seen in football, hockey and basketball games in Europe and it’s very natural to see logos adorning a jersey, it’s been very slow to be adopted here in the states, but commissioner Adam Silver who is very progressive and forward thinking has given us the opportunity to take a look and see if we can engage."

"It’s merely a patch so it’s very different to what you might see in an EPL game."

NBA teams are allowed to sell sponsorships to any company as long as they aren’t involved in gambling, alcohol or politics.

The deal – which will start in the 2017-18 season, will be part of the 3-year trial of jersey sponsorships for NBA teams.