MLB marketing in 2022: beer deals, crypto, streaming, gambling and more

MLB begins its new season today—one week later than initially planned but otherwise bearing few scars from a protracted off-season labor dispute that once jeopardized the season.

For the league and its participating marketers, the off-season was productive if nerve-racking. MLB will open the year with 41 official sponsors—up from 38 last year, when MLB recorded its highest annual sponsorship revenue in its history, according to people familiar with the league. These include five first-ever “official” designations, including Mattress Firm (the official sleep wellness partner); Corona (the official “Cerveza,” or imported beer); and Dairy Queen (the official treat). Capital One Bank succeeds Bank of America as the league’s official bank and credit card partner and will be the official presenting partner of the World Series. YouTube previously held that designation from 2017 to 2019.

Several issues settled in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association will also expand marketing opportunities, including an extra round of postseason play, international play, new special events, streaming TV broadcasts, and an agreement to introduce sponsor patches to player uniforms and sponsor decals to batting helmets for the first time.

“We are seeing a tremendous amount of interest in partnerships around Major League Baseball,” Noah Garden, MLB’s chief revenue officer, said in emailed comments. “With a new CBA, there are exciting opportunities ahead for MLB and our partners with expanded postseason, robust international play, special events, and new promotional platforms.  The strong demand among new and existing partners to work with MLB in reaching our broad and diverse fan base is a powerful affirmation of the strength and health of the game.”

The arrival of sponsor patches is a partial casualty of the 99-day lockout, which ended March 10 and resulted in a compressed Spring Training that, among other things, did not provide adequate time for teams to sell, design, manufacture and affix patches to official uniforms, a person familiar with the matter said. The patches, which will be sold by baseball’s individual teams, are expected to take the field for the first time in 2023. Helmet decals, which will be sold and controlled by MLB, are likely to arrive as soon as this postseason.

Sponsor patches will be 4 inches by 4 inches—a pretty big canvas as far as U.S. sports uniform patches go—and will be subject to certain restrictions: alcohol, betting, and media brands, for example, will be prohibited, and only one brand can be represented, MLB sources said. Retail versions of official jerseys will not carry the patches, although teams would be allowed to sell jerseys with such patches at their home ballparks.

Sports marketing experts estimate that baseball generates more than $1 billion in advertising revenue annually, with some estimating that figure is probably closer to $2 billion.

Ice cream and crypto

Several sponsors have engaged baseball’s top stars to play a role in their ads this year.

American Dairy Queen Corp., parent of the 7,000-store quick-service restaurant chain, has secured All-Stars Tim Anderson, Cody Bellinger, Bryce Harper and Fernando Tatis Jr.—each of whom will champion a favorite order to be entered into a fan contest to determine which will be crowned the “Official Combo Meal of MLB.” Harper and Anderson will appear in TV and online video spots, social media and DQ restaurant menu boards promoting their Stackburger favorites; Bellinger and Tatis—whose respective Dodgers and Padres clubs are expected to battle for a division crown—will square off behind their chosen Blizzard treats.

The sponsorship of MLB marks Dairy Queen’s first-ever national sports partnership while filling an official quick-service restaurant sponsorship role that was vacant during last year’s MLB regular season. (Taco Bell remains the official MLB postseason QSR sponsor).

DQ’s plans also call for special MLB-themed cups and charitable support for the Children’s Miracle Network that will send a Miracle Child and their family to the MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles. It is also tying a promotion to grand slams that will give away MLB Shop gift cards every time a player clears the bases with a home run—an event that in today’s power-heavy game, happens about five times every week or more than 100 times during the season, the league said. DQ engaged Barkley for creative assets and Spark for content integration and media.

Shohei Ohtani, the phenomenal Los Angeles Angels import who is a double-threat as a fireballing pitcher and home-run-slamming outfielder, is the star of a new campaign from crypto brand FTX. In a new spot from the brand by DentsuMB, a variety of marketers and fans struggle to coin a nickname for the multitalented athlete, who was named a global ambassador for FTX late last year, and whose versatility and skill, the ad suggests, parallels the many ways people can trade on the FTX exchange.

FTX has been an MLB official sponsor since last season, when it arrived with a unique entry—logo patches on the uniforms of baseball’s umpires that are back for a second season.

Beer here

Baseball for the first time this season will have dual beer sponsors as Constellation Brands’ Corona joins Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Budweiser as co-exclusive beer sponsors. The unusual truce between the warring brewers was arrived at by allowing each company exclusive opportunity to get their alternative brands in front of baseball fans, such a AB-InBev’s Cutwater Spirits line of ready-to-drink cockatils and Constellation’s Corona Seltzers.

Budweiser said it would be bringing back a popular promotion for its team-based sponsor deals, issuing cans featuring the logos of its 18 team partners. Rival Molson Coors has 16 team partnerships this season including the Chicago White Sox, who as part of their offseason makeover, traded Budweiser for Miller Lite and Coors.

Micro beer brands, like St. Paul, Minnesota-based Summit Brewing Co., have also revealed new deals with local teams. The official “Hometown Craft Beer” for the Twins will introduce Twins Pils, a German-style pilsner, to be available in Target Field’s Summit Brewing Pub, and in local stores and restaurants during the baseball season.

Summit engaged Minneapolis-based agency Periscope to partner on the launch, designing the baby-blue and navy cans and a commercial using the sounds of pop-top openings, fizzing heads, cans crushing and other beer-related sound effects to the tune of “Here We Go.”

Honoring Jackie Robinson

This season marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier, an event MLB will amplify on April 15. On that day, all players will wear uniforms bearing Robinson’s No. 42—this year in Dodger blue—along with a special anniversary patch. MLB is also promoting a special video, titled “Play, Run, Win, Rise,” written by Eljon Wardally and narrated by actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. It will highlight Robinson’s role as an athlete but also as a social justice advocate, civil rights icon and pioneering Black broadcaster and businessman.

The sport is also using the occasion to highlight outreach to young fans and Latino baseball programs such as the Trailblazer Series planned at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida. There, MLB and USA Baseball will host a three-day development camp for girls aged 13 and under. And beginning April 9, MLB will begin a 12-city tour to identify Black and Latino baseball talent in grades 8-10 within underserved communities. The league's goal is to identify promising athletes from any sport and have them participate in baseball developmental programs such as the Breakthrough Series, Dream Series or Hank Aaron Invitational. Many of the programs will be held at the Robinson Training Complex. MLB is also providing guidelines for youth and community leagues to participate in a "42 innings of baseball" program beginning the weekend of April 15, which will be highlighted on the @PlayBall social account and Playball.org.

Play Ball’s youth skill programs, including the Jr. Home Run Deby and Pitch Hit + Run competitions, announced a coordinating sponsor, RCX Sports, which will operate local, regional and national finals culminating in MLB’s All-Star Game and World Series. These programs are focused on skill development in baseball and softball. Program alumni include current big leaguers Andrew McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins, Eric Hosmer, Matt Wisler, Joey Gallo and J.P. Crawford.

Capital One, in addition to allowing its cardholders to purchase tickets—including playoff and special events—through an exclusive ticketing platform, is partnering with the Jackie Robinson Foundation to donate $1,000 to the organization for every “walk-off” victory achieved by an MLB team this year. It is committing to a minimum donation of $250,000.

The tributes come as brands have stepped up efforts to support social justice, diversity and inclusion following the George Floyd murder in 2020.

Cracker Jack, whose association with baseball has endured for 125 years thanks to the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” song, this week introduced a new line of packages featuring girl characters to be known as Cracker Jill. The Frito-Lay -owned brand commissioned a new recording of the song by Normani, with new lyrics celebrating the achievements of women in sports. The campaign references baseball pioneers such as Rachel Balkovec, who this season will become pro baseball’s first female manager, piloting the Tampa Tarpons, the New York Yankees’ Class A farm team.

Digital signage, gambling deals and ticket tech

The New York Mets, which last month hired accomplished marketer Andy Goldberg as chief marketing officer with an eye on building the team into a global superbrand, is among baseball’s clubs to have revamped marketing. Through a deal with Samsung, the Mets have replaced nearly all of the static advertising signs at Citi Field with 12,000 square feet of high-definition video screens that will entertain fans while giving brands a bright new spotlight, officials said. The introduction is part of a forthcoming plan for Samsung to replace the ballpark’s massive scoreboards with new technology for 2023.

Podcast: Behind the Mets' marketing playbook

The influence of online sportsbooks as a sports advertiser is also spreading throughout the game. An in-stadium restaurant overlooking left field at Citi Field has been rebranded as the Caesars Sportsbook at the Metro Grille, joining the Washington Nationals (BetMGM Sportsbook) and Arizona Diamondbacks (Caesars) as the first MLB clubs to have in-stadium betting parlors. The Chicago Cubs are reportedly seeking local approval for a building adjacent to its Wrigley Field, which would also host a sports gaming facility, while the New York Yankees have also expressed interest in a gaming venue.

Mets officials are making a big bet on technology as a key to an improved fan experience, introducing a partnership with the software company Wicket that will allow fans to use their own faces as their ticket to the park. Fans who opt in to the new program can enter through special lanes at Citi Field where a quick scan of their mugs will let them in without a physical ticket or showing their phone.

Apple and Peacock get in the game

The trend of games being broadcast on streaming television continues this year, including a slate of Friday night broadcasts to be carried on Apple TV+ for the first time. "Friday Night Baseball" debuts with two games on April 8 and is available free for a limited time to anyone with internet access in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the U.K, on devices where Apple TV+ can be found. Those include the Apple TV app, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and HD, and on tv.apple.com, along with smart TVs, gaming consoles, and cable set-top boxes.

Cue Health—the healthcare technology company providing COVID-19 testing for MLB clubs, its league office and home self-tests—has signed on as the official presenting sponsor of "Friday Night Baseball."

MLB this week also announced that NBC's Peacock streaming service would carry an exclusive Sunday morning game for 18 weeks beginning May 8. The first six NBC Sports-produced baseball games will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET and the following 12 Sundays, games are set for noon ET. Each game will feature NBC Sports-produced pregame and post-game shows on Peacock.

MLB likes streaming because of its ability to build interest outside of its clubs’ geographic bases, said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, speaking in a press briefing this week presented by ESPN.

“I think streaming is an opportunity for us to expand our reach,” Manfred said. “I also see an opportunity to create a more national product out of baseball. We’re a very local product, particularly on the broadcast side, but I think the shift to streaming is an opportunity to deal with issues that have been problematic for years, like blackouts,” or viewing restrictions to preserve a team’s territorial broadcasting rights.

Related: How COVID testing brand Cue put together a Super Bowl ad

Fans can also follow games this year over TuneIn Radio, the streaming audio channel, which will broadcast live and on-demand local radio broadcasts for all 30 MLB teams for its premium subscribers as part of a multi-year deal as MLB’s official audio sponsor.

MLB is arguably behind other U.S. sports leagues like the NBA and NFL in promoting itself internationally but the league is addressing that by introducing a new tour called Home Run Derby X, scheduled for London on July 9, Seoul on Sept. 15 and Mexico City on Oct. 15. The show will pit teams representing the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers—made up of former MLB stars, women’s softball athletes, representatives of MLB’s development programs and online content creators—in a home run derby contest on a compressed baseball field, along with live music, baseball-related activities, games, food and fashion.

A series of games scheduled overseas in places like London and Mexico City were interrupted by the pandemic but are expected to resume in 2023. This year will also feature qualifying games for the World Baseball Classic, an MLB-led World Cup-style tournament of nations to be contested in the spring of 2023.

“There is great energy around the game right now,” Karin Timpone, MLB executive VP and chief marketing officer, said in emailed comments. “On the road to Opening Day, we conducted fan events with our clubs across the country and launched fun new creative with Shohei Ohtani and our outstanding group of star players.  After the past two pandemic-impacted seasons, we are seeing great excitement from fans around the return to a more traditional and festive Opening Day this year.”