There was a bit of good news out of Charlotte today, as it was announced that the Hornets and their jersey advertiser, “Feastables,” have terminated their advertisement deal after just one season.
The advertiser is the manufacturer of “snack foods” and is owned by YouTube sensation MrBeast. When the deal was announced prior to last season, it was the first time an NBA team had entered into an advertising agreement with a “creator-led” brand.
At the time, the brand was excited for the “collaboration.”
“This partnership is a first of its kind, and I am excited to see how creator-brands and the NBA continue to work together into the future,” said Feastables’ Reed Duchscher. “The Hornets are obviously one of the most exciting teams in the NBA and are a favorite among young people, so Feastables could not be more excited to partner.”
Apparently it wasn’t a match made in heaven.
The Hornets have simply announced the deal between the two is over, but would not provide any additional details.
So, for now at least, the Hornets jerseys will be ad-free. It is expected they will be looking to find a new advertiser in time for the start of the 2024-25 season, but until one is found, the Charlotte Hornets jerseys will have one less piece of flair.
If the team gets a new advertiser, we’ll report on that once it happens.
You have to hope that it would be hard to find an advertiser willing to put their brand logo on a jersey of a team who employs a domestic abuser. I wouldn’t want my brand (if I had one) on that man’s uniform.
I’m no longer “young people”, but I was a youth when the hornets hit the scene and everyone had to have the starter jacket or the jersey regardless of if you liked them or even like sports or basketball, and I’m just not sure the hornets are a favorite among young people any more, are they? Why? The whole appeal was that they were a new team and they wore funky newfangled colors. But they really aren’t an exciting team nor have they been particularly exciting for reasons other than teal and purple, ever. Save for a little spark in the LJ years and the Mugsy years.
I still think the Hornets colors are fresh, unique and attractive but the advertiser did not see many extra units of his products being sold by putting an ad on a small market team that did not make the playoffs. I am sure that Charlotte will find another company to mess up their jersey. If not and they play ad free they will become my favorite team for 2024-25.