MiLB Merchandise Sales Reached Near-Record Levels In '11, Up 2% Over '10

Sales of Minor League Baseball licensed merchandise climbed to near-record levels in '11, according to data from MiLB. The 160 U.S.- and Canada-based clubs affiliated with MLB teams generated $52.2M through the sale of apparel, headwear and novelties last year, up 2% from '10 and trailing only pre-recession '08 as the highest annual total ever. The '11 list of top-selling clubs is stocked with familiar names: 21 of the top 25 teams also appeared on the '10 list, and 10 teams have been on the list in every season of their existence or in each of the 19 years MiLB has compiled the top 25 rankings. But MiLB Dir of Licensing Sandie Hebert said the overall growth is not limited to just a few perennially strong teams. Hebert: "Over the last five years, the Eastern, Carolina, Florida State, Midwest and Northwest leagues have each increased their sales of licensed products by more than 25%. And half of the MiLB teams experienced a double-digit percent growth in sales." Hebert added that 11 of the 14 MiLB leagues have seen their sales figures increase since '07. The chart below lists the total per year of licensed merchandised sales for MiLB teams.

STORM COMING: The Triple-A PCL Omaha Storm Chasers represent the lone newcomer on the '11 top-teams list, following a franchise rebranding and a move to a new stadium. Known as the Omaha Royals for most of its first 42 years of existence, the Royals' affiliate moved into its new $36M Werner Park last spring, and hired Brandiose (formerly Plan B Branding) to come up with a new moniker. Much of the sales were driven by a 15% increase in online traffic. The MiLB.com portal averaged 11.5 million monthly visitors across all screens (PC/MAC computer, mobile web, Triple-A iPhone app), during the '11 season, up from 10 million visitors per month in '10, according to MLBAM estimates.