MLB ADDS WAL-MART TO ITS ALL-STAR FAN BALLOTING PROGRAM

          MLB has expanded its All-Star Game fan balloting
     program while adding a retail partner "on every marketer's
     hit list: Wal-Mart," according to Terry Lefton of BRANDWEEK. 
     Also included in the program are Pizza Hut and CompUSA.  MLB
     will distribute a record 70 million ballots (up from 60
     million last year) between May 2 and June 21. Wal-Mart will
     distribute 20 million at 2,200 of its locations; CompUSA
     will handle 30 million inside MLB parks and 2 million in its
     156 stores; and Pepsi will distribute 18 million at Pizza
     Hut's 4,500 units.  Lefton reports that Wal-Mart, "which
     sells around 10% of MLB's domestic licensed merchandise,
     will buttress its balloting with front-of-store displays for
     licensed apparel, trading cards, videogames and Pepsi
     products."  MLB VP/Corporate Sponsorships Tom Worcester:
     "Everyone wants Wal-Mart.  But, in the first year, anything
     is a test and operational details are important to anyone
     with that many locations" (BRANDWEEK, 4/13 issue).
          VIDEO: BRANDWEEK's T.L. Stanley reports that Polygram
     plans a $5M "overhaul" of marketing, packaging and promos
     for the MLB video line after acquiring it earlier this year. 
     The relaunch will begin in May with two new releases, "and
     will develop new music-driven titles" targeting younger
     demos (T.L. Stanley, BRANDWEEK, 4/13 issue).