The Philadelphia Phillies announced Tuesday that they have chosen Independence Blue Cross, also known as IBX, to be their first jersey sponsor.
The abbreviation (IBX) is the expected logo to be shown on the uniform sleeve. The new sponsor ad patch will debut this afternoon in the series finale against the New York Yankees.
Phillies debuting long-awaited new Independence Blue Cross jersey sponsor patch
The Phillies were anticipating a sponsor as early as last summer when it was announced in March 2023 that they were removing the jersey number on the sleeve in anticipation of a sponsor patch. The Phillies clarified earlier this year that a deal was expected by the All-Star break, which came just after. Phillies managing partner John Middleton commented on the new revamped partnership with IBX.
“IBX has been on my target (list) from the beginning,” said Middleton. “We’re both long-standing Philadelphia institutions. ... We’re taking an existing relationship and putting it on a whole different platform.”
According to Terry Lefton of Sports Business Journal, Independence Blue Cross has been a Phillies sponsor for 36 years and has been a huge buyer of media in the Philadelphia market. They have maintained a long-standing relationship and only seemed like a natural fit. The Phillies and Philadelphia Flyers now share a sponsorship as the Flyers added their IBX patch last June, per IBX.
Independence Blue Cross (@IBX) becomes the Phillies' first uniform patch sponsor ⚾
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) July 30, 2024
Starting Wednesday night against the Yankees, the Phillies will sport IBX patches on their jerseys.
Read more from Terry Lefton ⬇️https://t.co/tQPR3XEimH
With the Phillies being the most recent club to add a sponsor, that makes 22 of 30 clubs sporting a new patch since the start of last season. The NFL is now the only of the four major sports yet to add a sponsor to their uniforms.
Phillies fans who now purchase jerseys at the New Era Team Store at Citizens Bank Park can have the patch added starting today.
Although the value of the IBX deal was not disclosed, the deal does include sponsorship rights to the suite level, which was formerly held by Dell EMC.
It's a new era with today's media and its close ties to sports. The number of sponsor ads scattered throughout the ballpark is impossible to miss. With how prevalent sponsorship deals are today, it was only a matter of time before they ended up on the uniforms. This move also adds another interesting wrinkle to the Fanatics uniform debacle.