MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL (MLB) has signed a multi-year, wide-ranging sponsorship deal with T-Mobile USA which is set to enhance baseball on and off the field with “game-changing wireless capabilities”.
Designated as the official wireless sponsor of MLB, T-Mobile will provide select teams (currently unspecified) with a new on-field communication system which will connect managers in dugouts to coaches in bullpens – the warm-up and practice area for relief pitchers.
T-Mobile will also collaborate with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the digital media and technology arm of the MLB, to improve network coverage and connectivity for fans inside baseball stadiums via the power of the company’s nationwide 4G network.
Baseball is America’s most digitally-consumed sport and MLBAM and T-Mobile will look to further enrich the digital experience for fans on T-Mobile smartphones and tablet devices.
T-Mobile will also benefit from a host of television broadcast sponsorship opportunities with FOX, ESPN and the MLB Network, as well as separate local sponsorship agreements with select MLB franchises.
While terms of the deal remain undisclosed, media reports in the US suggest the contract will run for an initial three year period, carrying a value of up to $125 million.
T-Mobile USA currently has sponsorship contracts in place with two MLB clubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Seattle Mariners.