MLB this afternoon announced a multiyear agreement with MGM Resorts Int’l, designating the company as the first official gaming partner and official entertainment partner of the league. Similar to MGM Resorts’ deals with the NBA and NHL, the company will have a broad array of rights, including exposure across MLB’s broadcast and digital media platforms, as well as a presence at jewel events like the World Series and All-Star Game. MGM Resorts’ access to MLB statistical feeds will be on a multi-tiered basis, with the company receiving non-exclusive access to its official stats feed and exclusive access to a select amount of enhanced Statcast stats.
The agreement contains a notable Japanese component, as MGM Resorts will have a presence at various grassroots and fan development events in that country such as the MLB Road Show. MGM Resorts additionally plans to secure a series of club-level alignments. “We operate in a really competitive environment and we have to take advantage of every opportunity to drive engagement by our fans,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Along with the deal, Manfred said there will be two new integrity-related policies for MLB players and employees but he did not disclose the specifics of those.
This continues an aggressive run of deal-making for MGM Resorts, with three major U.S. agreements now completed in less than four months. The company also seeks to build further on its joint venture with European gambling giant GVC Holdings to build a U.S. sports betting operation. “MGM has a different philosophy than the other operators,” said MGM Resorts Chair & CEO Jim Murren. “Most people have used sports betting looking at how big can that market be in the United States based on the pace of states rolling out [with legalized wagering] and the contours under which states allow sports betting. We look at sports betting as a building block toward creating an interactive experience globally, and I’m in for the long game.”
