The NFL is getting into the masking business.
According to The Associated Press, the league is in the midst of a new agreement with the American Mask Association that allows teams to get masks that mimic the look of real footballs.
The AP also says that the new deal will make mask covers for the 2018 season a thing of the past.
The masking industry is growing.
As we’ve reported previously, masking has become a booming business in the past few years, with many companies now manufacturing masking equipment.
According to The AP, American Mask has seen an increase in sales of masks since the beginning of the year, with some masks making up more than half of the total masks sold.
“I think masking was just kind of something that came out of the football community,” American Mask CEO Brian Deutsch said in a press release.
“We had no idea what was going on with footballs and we were like, ‘Whoa!
How do we make masks?’
And then we just kept hearing about it.”
Deutsch says that masks made from real football balls are becoming more popular, as well.
He added that the NFL’s new agreement will allow teams to make mask masks that resemble the look and feel of real NFL balls.
Deutsch said that American Mask’s maskes will feature a custom pattern, like the ones NFL teams use to make their helmets.
He also noted that mask covers are being phased out, and that the masks will be made out of polyurethane foam, which is similar to the type used in NFL helmets.
American Mask’s first masks are slated to be released in late September.