Swiss watch brand Hublot and five well-known Japanese brands have signed up as sponsors of the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 competition.
The WBSC Premier12 features the world’s Top 12 ranked men’s national baseball teams with one team — and potentially two — qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Hublot will be the competition’s Official Timekeeper and will award a special timepiece to the Most Valuable Player.
Of the Japanese companies, convenience store giant Lawson will be Official Ticketing Partner for the Super Round and Finals, which will be hosted by Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.
Baseball brand SSK will supply the WBSC Premier12 ball and umpire kit, while three partners from the 2015 WBSC Premier12 have returned: beer brand Asahi, video game developer GungHo Online Entertainment and carmaker Nissan.
Baseball and softball will return to the Olympic Games at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games having been dropped from the Olympic programme after Beijing 2008.