Phillies fans may be some of the biggest victims of counterfeit merchandise

Based on new research conducted by InGame.com, Philadelphia Phillies fans are some of the biggest victims of counterfeit merchandise scams, ranking 12th amongst all MLB teams. 

Counterfeit merchandise refers to goods that are illegally produced using the trademark of a brand without that brand’s authorization. 

Licensing, the process of obtaining permission to use someone else’s intellectual property, is one of the most crucial elements of sports merchandise. It enables companies to create products that feature the branding and logos of major sports teams and players. 

The global sports licensing market was valued at $23.4 billion in 2020, according to a statistic from the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association.

Albeit, licensed apparel is often on the pricey side: licensed jerseys often range from $90 to $150. Yet, the desire to rep one’s favorite team remains, even if fans are not willing to spend at that price point. This has led to the rise of counterfeit merch, a now booming industry. 

This year, U.S. authorities seized almost $40 million in fake sports gear before the most recent Super Bowl — just for that event alone. 

Counterfeit merch is not just about using team logos. Athletes and apparel sellers alike have sought legal action against counterfeit merchandise that claims to bear an athlete’s signature. Back in January, Beckett Collectibles filed a lawsuit against another collectibles store, alleging that the store was fraudulently selling 1,138 items that claimed to feature Eagles player Jason Kelce’s signature.

While some may appreciate a lower price point, widespread counterfeit products are detrimental to consumer trust. Moreover, the problem worsens when fans often pay similar prices for unknowingly knock-off items. 

Counterfeit merchandise is an issue that affects all sports leagues, from the NFL to the MLB. In order to discern how baseball fans feel about the subject, InGame.com analyzed over 133,000 online conversations from the past year about faux MLB apparel using data sourced from Brandwatch. 

They found that the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers were the MLB teams with the highest number of online conversations regarding false merchandise. For both, 15% of the identified conversations contained negative sentiments, in which users expressed frustration over counterfeit apparel. 

Phillies fans ranked 12th out of all 30 MLB teams, with 4,414 online conversations regarding the topic. Around 11% were positive, while 10% were negative. 

These conversations occurred in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, New York, and California. The data signals that Phillies fans nationwide are discussing the topic online, and hundreds would appreciate greater enforcement of laws to uplift official merch channels.