Taking A Swing: MLB Featuring 20 National Sponsors This Year
MLB Senior VP/Corporate Sales & Marketing John Brody, in a Q&A with ADWEEK’s
Kamau High, said the league has 20 national sponsors this year, roughly twice
as many as ‘03, and 15 “will have national advertising that is baseball
themed.” Brody said MLB partners “represent a roughly $400[M] business
in direct and indirect spending,” including sponsorship fees and local and
national media. He said MLB looks for partners who “believe less is more,”
and the league is “only going to do deals with people we feel are leaders
in their industry and people who can meet our fairly significant spending commitments”
(ADWEEK, 4/2 issue).
STANDING TALL: Despite losing Pfizer/Viagra and Century 21, Brody
said sponsor renewals and a new deal with Sharp “more than replaced lost
revenue.” In this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton cites
sources as saying that A-B has signed a new four-year deal that includes “a
larger rights fee.” MLB is “still working on a renewal” with
Ameriquest, despite the company ending its naming rights sponsorship of the Rangers’
ballpark and trying to “drop all its sports sponsorships.” While Ameriquest’s
MLB deal ended after last season, Brody said, “They will begin the season
the same way they started the last three, with (national) MLB sponsorship rights.”
However, Lefton notes the company will no longer sponsor the All-Star ballot.
Meanwhile, Nike has renewed its deal, and The Home Depot “is in the final
stages” of a three-year renewal. Wheaties also has renewed its deal, but
will share the breakfast cereal category with Quaker (SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL, 4/2 issue).
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