Nationals announce AARP as inaugural jersey sponsor, patch to debut Tuesday

AARP is sponsoring one of the youngest teams in MLB.

The nonprofit, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, announced Monday that it’s sponsoring the Washington Nationals with a patch on the club’s jerseys.

The District-based nonprofit, which has more than 30 million members nationwide, will also be a community impact partner with the Nationals. The partnership will feature anti-fraud public service announcements after stolen bases, an AARP Night at Nationals Park and “wishes” granted to volunteers and military veterans.

The exact terms of the deal were not available on Monday. The Nationals will wear a red patch on their white home jerseys and white patches on their four road and alternate uniforms. 

It is the first jersey sponsorship deal for the Nationals, who had previously avoided corporate branding on uniforms and naming rights deals for the stadium. The franchise started courting potential sponsors in March. 

MLB started allowing teams to accept jersey sponsorships in 2023. Twenty-five teams — including those reticent to change, like the New York Yankees — had already added sponsored patches to their jersey sleeves ahead of this season. 

Nationals Park remains one of eight major-league stadiums — not including the Tampa Bay Rays’ temporary home at George Steinbrenner Field — without a naming rights deal. 

“This collaboration between the AARP and the Washington Nationals is about celebrating the multigenerational love of baseball,” said Sami Hassanyeh, AARP’s executive vice president. “Baseball lives in family values.”

AARP is primarily dedicated to advocacy and lobbying for people over the age of 50. Prospective members do not have to be retired or a certain age. Representatives from the group and the Nationals cited baseball’s cross-generational appeal as a key reason for the deal. 

“That same spirit is at the heart of what we’re doing here today with the Washington Nationals,” Mr. Hassanyeh said. “By bringing fans of all ages meaningful experiences that connect, inspire and celebrate community.”

Nationals legend Ryan Zimmerman visited the ballpark to announce the deal alongside Mr. Hassanyeh and Matt Lemire, the Nationals’ vice president of corporate partnerships. 

“AARP is a nationwide nonprofit that helps people stay healthy, save money and have fun,” Zimmerman said. “Not only are they committed to strengthening community and fighting on issues that matter, they bring people together from across generations, and they share our belief that baseball is for everyone.“

AARP members will also receive exclusive perks through the partnership, including early access to the ballpark, seat upgrades and reserved parking spaces.

“We were searching for the right partner for a decent amount of time,” Mr. Lemire said. “What it came down to with AARP was: It’s a local company, it has a truly valuable mission, and they’re focused on the community.”

The Nationals publicly announced in March that they were open to deals for stadium and jersey sponsors. Initially, sports marketing professionals estimated that the two sponsorships could be worth a combined $20 million. 

The jersey patches — which follow the team for road games and are more prevalent on broadcasts — represent the bulk of the sponsorship potential. 

The Nationals did not provide any update on the hunt for a partner to purchase the stadium’s naming rights. 

“It’s about finding the right partner,” Mr. Lemire said. “We’re not just going to say, ‘OK, you can go ahead and name this building.’ It has to make sense for us as an organization, has to make sense for us as a market, has to make sense for us as a community.”

Fans have questioned the finances and dedication of the Lerner family, which owns the Nationals, since the death of patriarch Ted Lerner in 2023. Mark Lerner, the team’s managing principal owner, said in February that the team was off the market.

His family was committed to the Nationals “for the foreseeable future.”

But supporters have criticized the Lerners for their lack of splashy transactions. Since the World Series in 2019, the franchise has failed to make a big move in free agency, while former Nationals such as third baseman Anthony Rendon signed hefty contracts with other teams.

Other players, like former ace Max Scherzer and lineup stalwarts Trea Turner and Juan Soto, were traded instead of being signed to lucrative follow-up deals.

A jersey sponsorship could give the franchise extra money to spend on players. The Nationals rank 26th in MLB in payroll this season.

The AARP patches will debut when the Nationals face the Detroit Tigers at home on Tuesday.