Some fans weren’t particularly thrilled when the Boston Celtics, along with the rest of the NBA, decided to add an advertiser patch to their jerseys. The traditional jerseys, it was said, were sullied by a cash grab, and tradition had been sold out for a few bucks.

Well, it turns out it’s been more than a few bucks. According to the Sports Business Journal, the NBA’s jersey patch program has generated more than $150 million dollars, and the league is now actively looking for ways to expand it. The league had initially projected $100 million in revenue from the program, so it has exceeded expectations so far.

The Celtics deal with General Electric is reportedly worth more than $7 million, which is a lot but only about a third of the $20 million the Golden State Warriors got from Japanese technology company Rakuten. The money generated by these ads is considered basketball related income, which is split with the players as per the collective bargaining agreement.

The exact distribution numbers haven’t been released, but $150 million represents a small bump in the more than $7 billion the league makes annually. Still, any bump is welcome because even raising the salary cap and tax line by a few hundred thousand dollars can be the difference between keeping and losing a player or paying a larger tax bill.

So with that in mind, the league is trying to figure out how to make more money off the program. One way is to expand where jerseys with team patches are sold. According to the SBJ report, fans want exact replicas of what players wear on-court, but those can’t be found at a department store or sporting goods website. Fans can only get those at team-controlled stores or sites, and even then they are tough to find.

The league and teams can charge more for the ads if the patches are added to jerseys that are more widely available because the reach grows exponentially. One thing that doesn’t appear to be changing just yet is the patch size. According to SBJ, they will still have to fit in a 2.5 inch-by-2.5 inch square.

There might be a day where American sports leagues mirror other international professional sports leagues, like Premier League soccer teams, where the team’s logo and the advertising switch places.

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, left, reacts as Manchester United's Juan Mata runs during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Super)AP

In fact, you don’t have to look much further than the WNBA for a potential glimpse into the NBA’s future.

Seattle Storm's Sue Bird in action against the Phoenix Mercury in a WNBA basketball playoff semifinal Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)AP

Those types of wholesale uniform changes aren’t happening any time soon, but with the success of the patch program, they’re not impossible either. Money is money, and a chance for a lot more of it will be very tempting, especially if there are hits to other revenue steams.

For now, the NBA will continue to keep its little patch and hope to charge more for the right to advertise there.