Japanese baseball equipment manufacturer SSK has agreed a supplier partnership for a host of events organised by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
SSK will serve as the exclusive/official competition ball and kit supplier for the 2019 Premier12, the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and the 2018 to 2020 Baseball World Cups.
The deal expands upon SSK’s existing global partnership with the WBSC, through which it served as the exclusive umpire kit supplier for the inaugural Premier12 in 2015, along with the U12, U15, U18, U23 and women’s World Cups for the 2015 to 2020 cycle.
As part of the new deal, starting from next month’s U15 World Cup in Panama, SSK will have a major on-field presence at international baseball events organised by the WBSC. Umpire kit, WBSC officials’ apparel and competition balls will all be provided by SSK.
The company’s logo will also feature on all out-field fences and within team dugouts, with the SSK corporate video to be shown on the scoreboard during select Premier12 and World Cup games. Additionally, SSK will be granted in-stadium space to set up exhibitions, while it will also receive rights to use WBSC, Baseball World Cup and Premier12 logos for other promotional and advertising activity.
WBSC president Riccardo Fraccari said: “Only an iconic and elite baseball brand like SSK could be trusted to fill this critical role during what will be some of the most impactful and most watched international baseball events in history.
“WBSC is delighted to welcome SSK as the official competition ball and kit supplier of international baseball and expand upon our partnership that has spanned more than 20 years. With committed partners like SSK, we will continue to drive baseball into a new and golden global era.”