Nationwide has signed a multiyear deal to "become the official insurance sponsor for Minor League Baseball," according to Mark Williams of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. Nationwide gets exclusive national rights in the insurance category and "becomes the latest commercial partner" with MiLB's Copa de la Diversion. This is the "latest sports-related deal for Nationwide," which has agreements with the NFL and the PGA Tour's Memorial tournament and previously sponsored NASCAR (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 12/10). In this week's SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, John Ourand notes Nationwide becomes the 11th "national partner" for MiLB, and will sponsor the "Small Business of the Month" promo in participating markets in May and June. The Columbus-based company also "will activate around the 'Pet of the Month' promotion in July and August." Specific financial terms of the deal were not announced, but "similar deals generally are in the low seven digits." The category had been "vacant for several years" after Esurance ended its partnership. MiLB Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer David Wright indicated that the deal "took nearly two years to complete" (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/9 issue). Nationwide also will sponsor a "new content series beginning next year following some of baseball's top prospects as they work their way up" to MLB (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/9).
