NBA The season hasn't even started yet, but the signing of LeBron James by the Philadelphia 76ers has already begun to show results.
On October 20th, 76 players will welcome the opening match of the NBA regular season, against the defending champions, the New York Knicks. Whether it's the new jersey advertising patches and sponsorships, or the sales of tickets and merchandise, the “LeBron economy” has already benefited Philadelphia.
The CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment who operates the Philadelphia 76ers, Tad Brown, said: "From a basketball perspective, he is one of the greatest players of all time, and possibly even the greatest. So he will have an impact on the team; and from an economic perspective, all of that will follow."
Consulting firm Boyd Company predicts that LeBron James could add $250 million to $430 million to the local regional economic activity during the 76ers' first full season in Philadelphia. James left the Los Angeles Lakers this summer to sign with the 76ers.
Even the governor of Pennsylvania recognizes the LeBron effect.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated in July: "You will have 41 home games of LeBron in South Philadelphia, and each one of them will become a destination for people to come and watch. I think this will be very beneficial to our economy... It will be huge for Philadelphia."
Jersey Ad Patch Sponsor
Bloom Energy realized the national exposure that a person like James could bring.
The energy company announced on Monday that it will become a new jersey sponsorship partner for 76 players, replacing Crypto.com.
A source who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the discussion stated that the value of this transaction exceeds $30 million per year and is one of the “top two” level transactions in terms of jersey advertisement patch sponsorship within the alliance.
In the press release, 76 individuals described this multi-year agreement as "one of the most comprehensive and influential patch collaborations in NBA."
The team also stated in the press release that this transaction will bring a seven-figure community investment from Bloom Energy into the Greater Philadelphia area.
Bloom Energy CEO and founder KR Sridhar said, "We see this as a groundbreaking opportunity. It's clear that they have built a strong team during the off-season, and now they have brought in LeBron, which is truly icing on the cake."
This energy company will benefit from the tremendous national attention, as a record 34 games this season involving 76 players will be broadcast live across the country.
Ticket prices soar
76 people stated that they have seen immediate effects in ticket sales.
Brown said, "We've seen a significant increase in the number of people who want to become season ticket holders."
On the secondary market, the ticket resale platform StubHub indicates that tickets for 76 people are currently the most popular.
StubHub Spokesperson Jill Gonzalez said, "76 people have transformed from a mid-table team in the league into NBA's most sought-after team. The sales speed of tickets for the 2026-27 season is about 7 times that of the same period last year."
According to StubHub, the ticket sales for 76 individuals have risen from 22nd place in NBA to 1st place, both at home and away, with current sales being 11 times that of the same period last year.
The ticketing company also stated that the event with 76 participants attracted a larger number of unique buyers, with over four-tenths of the sold tickets coming from fans outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, compared to about one-quarter previously.
According to StubHub, searches for 76-player matches account for 38% of all searches for NBA matches, whereas this proportion was only 4% a year ago.
According to the data from TickPick, the average ticket price for the 76ers' home games in Philadelphia in 2026 was $282, which is higher than the $107 during the same period last year. On October 20th, for the season opener against the Knicks, the average ticket price was as high as $2088, the highest in the league according to that website's data.
Surrounding products
Many fans can't wait to buy the latest LeBron James 76-man team jerseys. Fanatics indicates that July is the month with the best sales of James's merchandise in his 24-year career.
Since he announced his move to Philadelphia, James has also become the athlete with the highest sales volume among all sports projects on the Fanatics platform.
James was initially announced through the Topps Now trading card to join Philadelphia. Topps Now are collectible cards printed on demand, used to record significant sporting moments. Fanatics indicates that since then, the sales volume of Topps Now cards has exceeded 200,000. Fanatics owns Topps.
The managing partner Josh Harris of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment said about CNBC: "I think that when LeBron chooses you... it's a huge recognition. It will bring a lot of excitement; you'll receive calls from sponsors, and the tickets will sell out. You'll get all of that, and some of it has indeed already happened. But we need to look at this from a long-term perspective. The best way is to win the game."
Although 76 people benefited from the arrival of James, he stated on Monday during the 76ers Media Day held in Camden, New Jersey, that his focus remains on winning a championship for Philadelphia.
James said, "I won't leave my family just to lose in the second round. I'm very certain about that. So, there's still work to be done, and I'm ready to devote myself to it."
