DHL Extends Deal With MLB, Adds All-Star Fan Fest Rights

DHL is extending its two-year-old MLB sponsorship for four years and adding title rights to the All-Star Fan Fest, which was previously sponsored by John Hancock, according to Terry Lefton in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Sources said the deal is in the mid-seven figures annually. The All-Star Game is in S.F., N.Y. and St. Louis over the next three seasons. The deal includes “ramped-up spending on MLB media and MLB rights holders.” DHL Senior VP/Marketing & Communications Karen Jones said, “As the third brand in [the overnight delivery] market, MLB has had a huge return for us as far as awareness and consideration.” She noted that awareness has “doubled among avid fans.” Jones added that DHL will “continue to spend on club deals, but she did not anticipate having more than the seven local MLB sponsorships from last year.” Lefton notes the company will also “continue to produce MLB-themed TV ads and activate with its ‘Delivery Man of the Year’ award.” IMG is DHL’s sports and entertainment agency (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/26 issue).

HOME RUN DERBY: In a separate piece, Lefton cites sources as saying that the asking price for title sponsorship of MLB’s Home Run Derby is $8M “plus about the same amount of associated ESPN media.” The three sponsors most likely to replace Century 21 as the event’s sponsor are Allstate, State Farm and Geico. MLB Senior VP/Corporate Sales & Marketing John Brody: “Insurance is a category we need to be in” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/26 issue).