Knicks sign jersey patch deal with owner James Dolan’s Sphere Entertainment

The New York Knicks are keeping it in the family for their next jersey patch sponsor.

Madison Square Garden Sports announced Tuesday that Sphere Entertainment will become the NBA team’s official jersey patch partner for the 2023-2024 season. The patch will debut Wednesday night when the Knicks tip off the season against the Celtics at the Garden.

Both companies are owned by James Dolan, who serves as the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Sports and Sphere. Dolan’s newest venture, the Sphere, a $2.3 billion immersive entertainment space in Las Vegas, debuted in September.

Terms of the jersey patch deal were not disclosed.

“The MSG family of companies has an unrivaled portfolio of premium assets, and we are committed to ensuring that the strength of our brands and unique global reach continue to benefit one another in powerful ways,” David Hopkinson, president & COO of MSG Sports, said in a statement.

The Sphere logo will go on all Knicks game jerseys, practice jerseys and warm-up shirts. In addition, they will appear on all jerseys sold at Madison Square Garden’s in-arena retail locations and online.

The NBA’s jersey patch sponsor program kicked off during the 2017-2018 season and has been an important source of revenue for many clubs. The NBA’s top three jersey sponsorships generated roughly $100 million last season in total, led by the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles according to Sportico.

The unusual deal involving two companies with the same owner follows a similar agreement by the Miami Heat earlier this month. The team signed a jersey partnership with Carnival Cruise Lines, both owned by Micky Arison.

The Knicks were one of just four teams that didn’t have a jersey sponsor last season.

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