Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Announce First Uniform Sponsor

The Philadelphia Phillies' uniforms will look a little different starting Wednesday.

Tyler Maher

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench.
May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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When it comes to allowing advertising patches on their uniforms, the Philadelphia Phillies have been persistent holdouts. While other teams have been quick to sell advertising space on their jerseys in return for corporate sponsorship money, the Phillies were one of the few remaining clubs with ad-free uniforms.

Until now.

Starting Wednesday, Philadelphia's uniforms will have Independence Blue Cross advertisements on the sleeves. The club will debut its new patches in its series finale against the New York Yankees.

The Phillies will become the 22nd MLB team with an official sponsored ad on their jerseys, leaving just eight teams without one.

A subsidiary of Independence Health Group, Independence Blue Cross is a local health insurance company that offers health care, dental, vision and Medicare plans in Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania. With nearly three million customers, it's the region's leading health insurance company and is likely used by many Phillies fans.

While baseball purists may not like advertisements on jerseys, that's simply where the game is headed. At this point, it seems likely that all 30 MLB teams will eventually have advertisements on their jerseys someday. It was only a matter of time before Philadelphia caved, as the incentives are too good to pass up.

Credit the Phillies for holding out longer than most teams, at least. They didn't jump on the bandwagon right away, but in the end there's no point fighting a losing battle. At least they went with a reputable local brand that has likely helped many of their fans at some point.

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Tyler Maher

TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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