As MLB rule changes have made the game faster and more action-packed, CMO Uzma Rawn Dowler’s team is “looking to the players -- and specifically the personalities behind the uniforms -- to keep that momentum going,” according to Eva Kis of ADWEEK. Beyond talents who “basically have their own center of gravity” such as Dodgers P/DH Shohei Ohtani and Mets OF Juan Soto, “expect some unusual, one-off marketing experiments inspired by players’ personalities.” Dowler said, “The best way to reach new and casual fans is through our players, and we want to continue to talk about new players in new ways.” Kis notes the first glimpse of that initiative came earlier this year with a “claymation-style short film” starring Reds SS Elly de la Cruz. Dowler said, “That was a way for us to tell his story and the insane baseball skills that he has, and bring them to life through the claymation medium.” Kis notes influencers will be “especially key to this strategy, but not by giving them box seats.” More like Mariners CF Julio Rodríguez “talking about his hometown in the Dominican Republic while getting a haircut from roving barber VicBlends.” Whether it is “through brand partners, throwback-style ads or influencers, expect those stories to center on the players driving the game” (ADWEEK, 3/11).
BUSINESS BOOMING: Kis in a separate piece writes MLB enters its 2025 season with the “winds of change firmly at its back after two straight years of increased attendance, TV viewership, and media visibility.” This season will start with a two-game Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and the Cubs on March 18-19, which will be the “biggest standalone international event” MLB has ever put on. At the root of this success are “some relatively subtle tweaks to how baseball is played, designed to make games brisk and more entertaining.” Brands have “taken notice,” with sponsorship revenue up 55% since 2022 to $1.9B. Deal volume is up 9% over 2023, with “over 30 categories represented” among the more than 325 new sponsorship deals struck by teams and the league in 2024. Jersey patches, which were introduced just two years ago, brought in $204M in 2024, a 59% year-over-year increase. Baseball’s evolution is “continuing in 2025,” with longtime sponsor T-Mobile “riding a wave of excitement” as its 5G network powers MLB’s automated ball-strike system. The 2025 Tokyo Series has also attracted 23 brand partners, the “most ever for an MLB series,” including:
- Ito-En as the league’s first official green tea; bottles “will be on the podiums at press conferences during the Tokyo Series, a la Gatorade in the U.S.”
- Gaming giant Konami, a new global sponsor, has “created an MLB version of the most popular baseball mobile game in Asia, Professional Baseball Spirits A.”
- Mastercard has been a league sponsor for over 25 years, but for the “first time it’s secured sponsor rights abroad.”
- Japan Airlines is the new official airline of the league, both in Japan and the U.S.
- SCSK, an IT support company, recently acquired Net One and “will feature both companies’ logos on batting helmets during the Tokyo Series” (ADWEEK, 3/11).
