Circa Sports Scores Jersey Patch Deal With Chicago Blackhawks

Circa Sports announced Tuesday that it will be the official jersey patch sponsor for the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks for the 2024-25 season.

The news arrived a day after the Florida Panthers claimed the 2024 Stanley Cup. Las Vegas-based Circa Sports joins a small number of companies with multiple jersey patch deals in the same professional sports league. Circa also has a jersey patch deal with the Las Vegas Golden Knights. In the just-completed NBA season, Ibotta and Motorola each had patch agreements with two teams.

Circa Sports will debut on the Blackhawks jersey later this week at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft,” according to a statement. “The partnership also includes the Blackhawks 2024-25 regular season schedule release, anticipated for early this summer.”

The Blackhawks are one of the NHL’s six original franchises and have raised Lord Stanley’s Cup six times, including three times between 2010 and 2015. Financial terms of the agreement between Circa and the team weren’t revealed.

Potentially Shrewd Move by Circa

Circa is already familiar to some bettors in Illinois. In May 2022, Circa announced plans to enter Illinois via an arrangement with Full House Resorts. That accord paves the way for Circa to run a retail sportsbook at that casino and offer internet betting in the state.

As for the relationship with the Blackhawks, it could pay dividends for the gaming company because while the team has languished in recent years, it’s led by Connor Bedard, who at just 18 years old, is widely considered one of the NHL’s top young players.

Circa also offers online sports wagering services in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, and Nevada.

NHL Widening its Embrace of Betting Sponsorships

As is the case with other North American sports leagues, the NHL has widened its embrace of marketing deals and sponsorships with gaming companies, both at the team and league levels. For example, last November the NHL named Penn Entertainment’s ESPN Bet as its official sports wagering partner.

In the just-completed NHL season, three franchises — the Arizona Coyotes, Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals — had sponsorship deals with gaming companies.

Additionally, 17 teams, or more than half the league, have sponsorship deals with sportsbook operators. That despite the fact six of the league’s US-based teams are in states that don’t allow online sports wagering, and five of the teams are located in Canadian provinces lacking competitive sports betting markets.