The NFL told team presidents that they would be allowed to sell advertising rights to the tarps being placed on field-level seating as they are closed off over coronavirus fears.
The league determined that the lower tier of up to eight rows of seats in NFL stadiums will be tarped to prevent fans from sitting in them, in an effort to protect the players from the coronavirus.
But along with that health measure, the league also said the teams can sell ad space on the tarps so that TV cameras will pick up giant logos, slogans, and messages that advertisers will pay for the right to display, according to Sports Business Daily.
Until now, with but few exceptions, teams were prohibited from selling ad space to sponsors that would be displayed less than 40 feet above the field.
For years the teams have been agitating for the league to change that policy. Now they will at least get a temporary right to sell more ad space where TV cameras will be sure to catch sight of it all.
The new ad space will likely spur advertisers to jump back in with the NFL for a 2020 season that some feared advertisers would be less interested in supporting.
The league announced that the season will run from September 10 to January 3, followed by the playoffs and ending with the Super Bowl on February 7th.
However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has also cautioned that the league retains the right to make alternate plans depending on the coronavirus outbreak’s extent when play is supposed to start.
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