The NBA season hasn’t started yet, but LeBron James’ deal with the Philadelphia 76ers is already paying off.
The 76ers will open the NBA regular season on October 20th against the reigning champion New York Knicks. From new jersey patch sponsorships to ticket and merchandise sales, the LeBron economy is already a win for Philadelphia.
“From a basketball standpoint, (he’s) one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time,” said Tad Brown, CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which operates the Philadelphia 76ers. “So he’s going to have that impact on the organization, and from a financial standpoint, everything else will follow.”
Consulting firm Boyd Company predicts that total economic activity in the region could increase by $250 million to $430 million in the year since LeBron James was with the Philadelphia 76ers. James left the Los Angeles Lakers this summer and signed with the 76ers.
The governor of Pennsylvania also acknowledges the LeBron effect.
“South Philadelphia will have 41 home games against LeBron,” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said in July. “Every game is going to be a destination for people to come to, and that’s going to be great for our economy…It’s going to be a really big deal for Philadelphia.”
jersey patch sponsor
bloom energy We recognized that someone like James brings national exposure.
The energy company announced Monday that it will be the patch partner for the 76ers’ new jerseys, taking over from Crypto.com.
The deal is worth more than $30 million annually, making it one of the league’s top two jersey patch sponsors, said the people, who requested anonymity because negotiations were private.
In a press release, the 76ers described the multi-year agreement as “one of the most comprehensive and impactful patch partnership agreements in the NBA.”
The deal also brings Bloom Energy a seven-figure community investment in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the team said in a press release.
“We thought this was a breakthrough opportunity for us,” said KR Sridhar, founder and CEO of Bloom Energy, which makes fuel cells for data centers. “What happened in the offseason, building a strong team with Jaylen[Brown]and then bringing in LeBron, was pretty amazing.”
Energy companies will benefit from significant national attention as a record 34 Sixers games will be televised nationally this season.
Soaring ticket prices
The 76ers say they’re already seeing an immediate impact in the form of ticket sales.
“We’re seeing a huge increase in the number of people who want to become season ticket holders,” Brown said.
According to ticket reseller StubHub, 76ers tickets are the hottest tickets on the secondary market.
“The Sixers have gone from being a mid-major team to a top-drawing team in the NBA,” said StubHub spokesperson Jill Gonzalez. “Tickets for the 2026-27 games are selling at about seven times the rate of last year.”
StubHub reported that the Sixers went from 22nd to 1st in NBA tickets sold for both home and road games. Tickets are selling 11 times more than at this time last year.
Sixers games have also attracted unique buyers, with more than four in 10 tickets sold going to fans outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, up from about a quarter previously, ticketing companies said.
According to StubHub, searches for Sixers games by StubHub buyers accounted for 38% of all searches for NBA games, up from 4% a year ago.
According to TickPick, the average price for a Philadelphia 76ers home game will be $282 in 2026, up from $107 using the same sales period as last year. The average ticket price for the season opener against the Knicks on Oct. 20 is a league-high $2,088, according to the site.
merchandise
A fan buys a LeBron James jersey and other Philadelphia 76ers merchandise at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Hunter Martin | Getty Images
Many fans are eager to get their hands on the latest LeBron James 76ers jersey. According to Fanatics, July was the highest-grossing month in James’ 24-year career.
Since announcing his move to Philadelphia, James has also been the best-selling athlete in any sport across Fanatics’ platforms.
James announced his move to Philadelphia via Topps Now trading cards, print-on-demand collectibles commemorating important moments in sports. Since then, more than 200,000 Topps Now cards have been purchased, said Fanatics, which owns Topps.
“I think it’s a huge validation that LeBron chose you,” Josh Harris, managing partner of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, told CNBC. “He brings a lot of excitement, calls from sponsors, tickets sell out. We understand all that and some of that is certainly happening, but we’re taking a long-term view on this and the best thing you can do is win.”
While the 76ers have benefited from James’ presence, the manager said Monday at 76ers Media Day in Camden, New Jersey that his focus remains on winning a title in Philadelphia.
“I didn’t leave my family behind to lose in the second round, and I know that,” James said. “So I have to do the work, and I’m ready to do the work.”
