The National Basketball Association made a record $1.46 billion in sponsorship revenue in its 2020-21 regular season, according to estimates by IEG, a sports partnerships consultancy firm.

Source: Jabari Young/CNBC

ANALYSIS: Young adds that Microsoft was a key contributor to the milestone, with a new sponsorship deal that helped the tech industry as a whole generate about $115 million in revenue for the league. Jersey patches are also becoming a hot area for sponsors. Per Young, according to IEG global managing director Peter Laatz, “Some teams are getting more than $15 million per year for jersey patches and that is close to the $30 million a naming rights sponsorship can bring in annually.”