Sports Business Digest » Baseball

Detroit Tigers surpass 1 million “likes” on Facebook

Emmett Jones — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:11:57 +0000

Like This if you..."Like This". The future of Facebook's stock may be in question, but the obscene number of users flocking to the site is certainly not in doubt. The Detroit Tigers, who are quite popular even without an official Facebook page, have officially topped one million "Likes" on the uber-popular social networking site. With that mark, they become the first American League Central team to reach the one million plateau, and the tenth team in Major League Baseball.

“Social media is an integral part of the fan experience, and we are constantly seeking new ways to engage directly with loyal Tigers fans,” said Tigers’ Vice President of Marketing Ellen Hill Zeringue. “It all starts with unique content, and Tigers fans have demonstrated an exciting response to the Tigers on both Facebook and Twitter, and this milestone is attributable to their support.” (via Press Release)

In an effort to recognize and appreciate their fans, the Tigers are running a sweepstakes for their Facebook followers. Fans who "Like" the team have the opportunity to win four tickets to an upcoming game, complete with a VIP batting practice viewing and a signed Miguel Cabrera baseball. Out of market fans will have the option to opt out of the tickets and receive a free MLB.TV subscription along with the autographed "Miggy" baseball. More information on the contest can be found on the Tigers Facebook page, while fans can also follow the Tigers on their official twitter accounts @Tigers and @TigresdeDetroit

MusclePharm signs deal with Bryce Harper

Emmett Jones — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:17:08 +0000

Washington Nationals phenom Bryce Harper has signed a sponsorship deal with nutritional supplement company MusclePharm. The 19-year old outfielder is in the middle of his first season in Major League Baseball, having debuted for the Nationals on April 28th. While he has tended to shy away from endorsement deals because he's more focused on baseball itself -- according to his marketing agent, Tyler Beckstrom of Boras Marketing, he did sign with MusclePharm in part because of his previous usage of the product,

"I have been using MusclePharm products for more than a year, and I fell in love with the brand after first being introduced to it," Harper said. "MusclePharm products have been certified to be used in professional baseball, and I know they are safe and effective because of that. "Their entire product line is outstanding, and they do an amazing job helping me recover correctly, while allowing me to perform at a high level. I am truly excited to be working with MusclePharm in this capacity." (via Press Release)

MusclePharm is already a popular nutritional supplement among athletes in NFL and MLB circles, and it is the official supplement company of the UFC.

"Harper's immense baseball talent, likeable personality and broad appeal to a key demographic made this the ideal partnership for MusclePharm," said Cory Gregory, the company's co-founder and senior vice president. "We've had our eye on Bryce for nearly two years, because I really thought he fit our brand perfectly. We saw him progress through the minors at a rapid rate, and we were impressed with his Major League debut. It is icing on the cake that he is already using MusclePharm products "Bryce fits into our main demographic perfectly, and we are beyond thrilled to have him on board as one of our main athletes. He trains extremely hard and has a tremendous work ethic, and we are excited to welcome Bryce to MusclePharm in a big way," Gregory added.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Pittsburgh Pirates Social Media Night

Emmett Jones — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:35:54 +0000

This social media thing...I think it may have legs. Continuing the current trend toward a combination of social media and physical presence at a ball park, the Pittsburgh Pirates will host their first social media night of 2012 on Friday May 25th. Pirates fans who follow the team through one of their social media channels (Twitter or Facebook) can receive $10 off their ticket for the social media night game against the Cubs, along with a pre-game reception. Participants in the Pirates social media night will receive a free T-Shirt, a chance to meet local radio personalities from 93.7 THE FAN and Pirates executives, a chance, and there will be various raffles and giveaways accompanying the event. One interesting wrinkle to the Pirates social media night is that one fan from the pre-game reception will be chosen to represent the Pirates as the "Fan of the Game". That fan will be recognized before the game, and will have the opportunity to change a base with the PNC Park ground crew during the game. The Pirates social media night coincides with another popular Pirates promotion -- You Score as the Pirates Score -- in which fans receive a price discount equal to the number of runs the Pirates scored this past weekend against the Tigers (It was $7). Two promotions on the same day. If the weather holds, it looks like the Pirates will have a good night attendance-wise, regardless of their current record. For more information on Social Media Night, visit Pirates.com/socialmedia.

An MVP Appetite

Travis_Schluter — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:38:18 +0000

Two of Wisconsin’s MVP’s will be teaming up to support SURG restaurant group in Oak Creek. Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers; and Ryan Braun, Outfielder for Milwaukee Brewers have recently signed licensing agreements to support the new joint establishment called 8*twelve. 8*twelve is an MVP grill located on W. Blue Mound Road in Brookfield, Milwaukee. They will serve a variety of American favorites, cooked on an open fire wood grill. Who says these guys only talk about sports? Rodgers and Braun have become quite good friends; swapping recipes during the Brewers spring training. They are both excited for the late June Grand Opening of 8*twelve and will both be making several appearances at the restaurant. The group has also tossed around the idea of opening more restaurants in possibly Madison or in the Fox Valley depending on the success of Brookfield. For more information on 8*twelve restaurants and dates of star appearances, you can visit their Facebook page. Click Here!

Sirius enhances MLB broadcasts, channels

Emmett Jones — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:38:39 +0000

Starting today, Sirius XM Radio is more dedicated to your favorite Major League Baseball team. Sirius, the official Internet Radio Partner of MLB.com is unveiling 30 play-by-play channels that are specifically dedicated to bringing their users the official radio broadcast of every MLB team both on their internet radio app, and online at their website. The 30 channels, which are branded with each team's respective logo, will, for the first time, allow Sirius subscribers the opportunity to hear both the home and visiting broadcasts for each MLB game. The move expands on Sirius' initial play of streaming live radio broadcasts of MLB games for Sirius XM subscribers. That move came about after the company signed a multi-year deal with MLB's media arm, MLBAM (Major League Baseball Advanced Media), in April. Sirius is hoping that by providing subscribers with their home announcers, it will create a more positive fan experience,

"Baseball fans have a special connection with their team's radio voices," said Steve Cohen, SiriusXM's SVP of Sports Programming. "Whether it's Yankees vs. Red Sox, Cardinals vs. Cubs, Giants vs. Dodgers, or any other game, fans want to hear their team's radio call when they tune in. Our new channels on the SiriusXM App and online create an enhanced listening experience for our subscribers, giving them access to any MLB team's radio broadcast, whether they are playing at home or on the road, on the same dedicated channel all season long. And they get it all in digital quality audio." (via Press Release)

Sirius XM Internet Radio can be added to an existing Sirius or XM Satellite Radio subscription for $3.50 a month. More details can be found on the Sirius website.

Chicago Cubs to host Social Media Night

Emmett Jones — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:49:00 +0000

Social media is hitting Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs will host their inaugural "social media night" on May 16th, against the Philadelphia Phillies. During the event, fans will receive a special set of Cubs "Social Media Series" baseball cards, a gift package containing a t-shirt and food voucher for use during the game. Pregame events include a Social Media Panel, featuring Chicago area celebrities such as Bears kicker Robbie Gould, Cubs beat reporter Carrie Muskat and Cubs PR Specialist Kevin Saghy. The hour long panel discussion will focus on social media from an athlete, media and club perspective. Tickets to the Social Media Night baseball game are selling for $27 a piece, and can be purchased through the Cubs website. In keeping with the social media theme, The Cubs are asking that fans use the Twitter hashtag, #CubsSocial when discussing the event. A second Social Media Night has already been planned, for Monday September 17th, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs will be holding a contest, via Twitter, to determine who will throw out the first pitch. h/t to Mike Mahoney

Fishers Nuts to donate money for every Brewers win streak

Emmett Jones — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:01:39 +0000

The Brewers Community Foundation is banking on the Milwaukee Brewers being a formidable baseball team. Literally. Fisher Nuts, Roundy's and the Brewers have teamed up for the "Freshness You Can Win" campaign. Under the rules of the campaign, Fisher will donate $500 to the Brewers Community Foundation (The Brewers Community Foundation was established to extend financial support to programs benefiting disadvantaged youth and their families) every time the team wins two consecutive games.

"We're thrilled to help cheer on the Milwaukee Brewers this summer and support Brewers Community Foundation," saysHoward Brandeisky, Vice President Global Marketing, Innovation & Customer Solutions at John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., the parent company of Fisher Nuts. (via Press Release)

Besides the donation from Fisher, which they will present to the Brewers at their game versus the Astros on September 30th, Consumers will also be entered into a contest to win $250 gift cards each time they purchase Fisher Nuts at select grocery stores in the Milwaukee area. On top of that, fans will be entered into a contest to win various prizes -- a party at Miller Park, gift cards, tickets to a Brewers game, etc. -- with each purchase of Fisher Nuts at select grocery stores. Details on the promotion can be found on the Brewers website.

Phillies hitting HR’s for the environment

Emmett Jones — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:38:24 +0000

In Philadelphia, baseball bats are creating trees, not vice versa. The Phillies, ARAMARK and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society have teamed up for an environmental promotion that is aimed at increasing the tree canopy cover in the Greater Philadelphia region. Under the "Home Runs for Trees" program, every time a Phillies player hits a home run this season, a tree will be planted. A variety of locations have been earmarked for the trees including surrounding local parks and watershed areas.

“This new partnership is a big win for the region,” said Drew Becher, President, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “With every homer hit by the Phils, the landscape will get a little greener and our air and water a little cleaner. This tree-planting effort will have a major league impact on our environment.”

"Home Runs for Trees" is a small part of the Horticultural Society's larger "Plant One Million", a multi-state tree planting campaign that has already planted more than 150,000 new trees since 2004.

“We are proud to join our long-time partner ARAMARK and support PHS’ efforts to create a greener Greater Philadelphia region,” said David Montgomery, President, The Phillies. (via Press Release)

The tree plantings are being made possible through the sponsorship of ARAMARK. For those looking for more information on the program, visit the Phillies website.

Kate Upton. Now on a trading card.

Emmett Jones — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:25:03 +0000

Kate Upton. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model. Eye-Candy for Skull Candy headphones. Master of the Cat Daddy. And the owner of the hearts and minds of nearly every man on the planet. Oh, did I mention she's on a trading card as well? In a move that will reduce many sports bloggers to 11 year old kids trading snacks during lunch time, Kate Upton has been chosen as one of the non-sports inclusions in Topps' 7th edition of Allen & Ginter's World Champions baseball card set. The 350-card base set, which will arrive in July, will feature a myriad of baseball stars from today and yesterday, special 'mini' insert cards, and framed 'Relic' cards of MLB legends. Also included, are autographed cards of famous baseball players (Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Willie Mays) and numerous non-baseball celebs including Upton along with other notable celebrities including Bobby Knight, Erin Andrews and Arnold Palmer. Each eight-card pack will contain an insert card of some kind which will give collectors the chance to receive an autographed card or one of the aforementioned Relic or Mini cards. Also included in the sets are "Lepidoptery" cards -- a redemption card which is sent in and redeemed for a card with a dead butterfly mounted inside of it. So, to recap. Kate Upton. Dead Butterflies. And Stan Musial Autographs. Check. Topps Allen & Ginter's World Champions will be released the week of July 11th. Hobby boxes will include 24 packs of 8 eight cards a piece, and will retail for $5 a pack.

Brand Affinity signs license with MLBPA allowing for multiple player licenses

Emmett Jones — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:20:22 +0000

The MLBPA has now streamlined their licensing process, thanks to a new endorsement deal with Brand Affinity Technologies.

Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT) has a patented endorsement platform which provides their users daily media analysis, and the ability to explore cross-media licensing opportunities for their marketing ventures. Under BAT’s licensing deal with the MLBPA, people utilizing BAT’s endorsement platform will have the ability to present potential endorsement opportunities to any one of the MLBPA’s 750+ players.

“We are extremely excited that the MLBPA recognized BAT’s unique capabilities as a leader in technology and marketing solutions and are excited to offer our advertising and brand partners exceptional access to all its players for sponsorship and endorsement opportunities,” said Ryan Steelberg, co-founder and CEO of BAT. “This landmark agreement really highlights the marketing value of Major League baseball players and we are thrilled to work with the MLBPA.” (via Press Release)

BAT, which already works with numerous well-established companies such as AT&T, Comcast, and Sony, has already established itself in the marketing technology field, but the fact that their platform has now opened up the entire MLB roster has to look pretty appealing to marketers looking to utilize multiple baseball players in their next national or regional marketing campaign. And its also a way to open up players to new endorsement partners as well,

“BAT’s unique ability to provide targeted athlete recommendations, licensing and clearance solutions, through their digital platform to brands across our 750 players is a fantastic capability and we felt this was a key opportunity for players to gain access to new endorsement partners,” said Richard White, MLBPA General Manager of Business Affairs. “This new relationship is a true milestone for the MLBPA and we are excited to work with BAT.”

More information about BAT can be found on the Brand Affinity Website.