Major League Baseball has sealed a commercial partnership with home appliances manufacturer Maytag.
Under the agreement, which marks a category first for the league and the company, Maytag becomes the official washer and dryer of MLB for the remainder of the 2015 season.
The sponsorship will focus on Maytag’s American-made laundry appliances and launches with the ‘Filthiest Plays of the Week’ fans poll, which will run at MLB.com/Maytag and by using the #FilthiestPlay hashtag on social networking site Twitter.
Additionally, Maytag has teamed up with MLB teams Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers to install its Top Load Washer models at their ballparks. If a player hits a home run into the machines during an MLB game, Maytag will donate $1m (€907,000) to the local area Boys & Girl Club. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a long-standing partner of Maytag and an official charitable partner of MLB.
In conjunction with the MLB partnership announcement, Maytag has launched a full-scale integrated marketing and advertising campaign, including a national television advertisement that will debut during the MLB All-Star Game today (Tuesday).
Noah Garden, MLB executive vice-president of business, said: "We look forward to working together with Maytag to reach our passionate fan base with innovative and engaging programs this season.”