Organisers of the World Baseball Classic have announced a host of sponsorship deals ahead of the 2017 edition of the national team tournament.
Video game developer GungHo, Swiss watchmaker Hublot, Japanese logistics provider Nippon Express and financial services company Nomura Securities have signed up as top-tier global sponsors of the event, which runs from March 6-22 across venues in Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the US.
Global sponsors will benefit from a significant presence at the six tournament venues and across all media platforms.
Delta Air Lines will support the travel demands of the World Baseball Classic as the preferred carrier of the tournament.
This year’s event will feature a record number of team partners, with 23 brands to feature on the uniforms of the 12 participating countries.
GungHo and Nippon Express will serve as the jersey and helmet sponsors of Team Japan respectively, while consumer electronics company LG has been named as the helmet and jersey sponsor of Team Korea.
Financial services company Banco BHD Leon will return to serve as the jersey sponsor of defending champion Team Dominican Republic. Telecommunications company AT&T will be the jersey and helmet sponsor of Team Mexico.
Asahi Beverages will serve as a presenting sponsor of both rounds in Tokyo, while Korean automotive company Kia will launch a fleet of tournament-branded vehicles transporting national teams and fans to first-round games in Seoul.
Finally, investment firm Value will be the presenting partner for the round in Jalisco, Mexico.
“The World Baseball Classic is a one-of-a kind tournament and the diversity of marketing partners associated with the 2017 edition is a testament to its unique nature and reach," Dominick Balsamo, vice-president of international media sales and marketing partnerships at North America’s Major League Baseball, said.
"This event is special in that it extends the opportunity for activation inside six international venues, integrated branding on in-game national team uniforms, and exposure across media platforms worldwide."