On April 3, 2012, Nike Inc.'s five-year apparel license contract with the NFL is becoming a reality, as Nike unveils their reworked version of all 32 NFL uniforms. Financial terms of the league's deal with the sports apparel giant were not officially announced, but Bloomberg Businessweek has reported the deal could be worth upwards of $35 million per year. After 10 years working with Reebok as the on-field apparel provider, the NFL is set to experience a reworked style for team uniforms, but it might not be a drastic as Nike has done in NCAA college football.
CNBC's Darren Rovell interviewed Nike President and CEO Mark Parker on some their new line of apparel in February, and Parker sounded excited about the opportunity to put the Nike stamp on NFL jerseys:
"We've innovated at a very high level, the uniforms are lighter, they're faster, they're better fitting. So, the athletes are actually very excited about what we're going to bring to the professional game. People are wondering - What are you going to do? Are you going to get crazy with the uniforms? I think we're actually going to have some fun, but respect the tradition of these teams at the same time."
For example, the Seattle Seahawks are expecting some changes that include "feather trim," and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be adopting black as their new primary color, while heritage franchises like the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys are not banking on big alterations to their timeless and recognizable looks. The opportunities for small changes to big market looks with the Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, New York Giants and New York Jets are all enticing to consider, and now NFL fans have to wait less than a month to see if Nike succeeded in their first attempt at injecting the brand's style into the uniforms for all 32 NFL teams.
