Press release World Baseball Classic, Inc.
World Baseball Classic, Inc. announced its marketing partners for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The list includes global, team and venue partners from 15 countries across five continents. The four Global Sponsors for the 2017 tournament include GungHo, the video game corporation that developed mobile hit Puzzles & Dragons; Hublot, the Swiss luxury watchmaker; Nippon Express, Japan’s largest logistics provider; and Nomura Securities, a leading financial services group. Global Sponsors receive the highest level of association with the event, including significant presence in the six tournament venues and across all media platforms worldwide. Delta Air Lines will support the unique travel demands of the tournament as the preferred carrier of the World Baseball Classic.
All World Baseball Classic tournaments, dating back to the inaugural event in 2006, have displayed partner branding on National Team uniforms. The 2017 event will feature a record number of team partners, with 23 brands expressing their national pride for 12 participating teams. Uniform exposure for the World Baseball Classic consists of full-color patches on the jersey sleeves of all players and coaches, along with decals featured on the open-ear side of all batting helmets.
In addition to their status as Global Sponsors, GungHo (Jersey) and Nippon Express (Helmet) will be sponsors of Team Japan. LG is returning to brand both the helmet and jersey of Team Korea. Banco BHD Leon, a Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association partner, will return to their third tournament with patches on the jersey of defending champion Team Dominican Republic. AT&T (Jersey) and Comex (Helmet) are first-time sponsors of the World Baseball Classic, aligning with Team 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,” said Dominick Balsamo, Vice President, International Media Sales & Marketing Partnerships, Major League Baseball. “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.”
“The international growth and popularity of baseball is a testament to the success of the World Baseball Classic. That success isn’t realized without the support the Classic continues to receive from some of the world’s most recognizable brands as they seek to engage with our ever-expanding global fan base,” said Major League Baseball Players Association Chief of Business Affairs, Timothy Slavin.
The tournament’s host venues – Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico; Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan; Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Korea; and Marlins Park (Miami), Petco Park (San Diego) and Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) in the United States – will be represented by a collection of marketing partners activating locally.
Asahi Beverages, supporter of the World Baseball Classic since its inception in 2006, will serve as a presenting sponsor of both rounds in Tokyo. Korean auto-maker Kia will launch a fleet of tournament-branded vehicles transporting National Teams and fans to first-round games in Seoul. Value, a major investment firm with a strong tradition of supporting baseball across Mexico, presents the round in Jalisco as a first-time World Baseball Classic sponsor. And tourism companies from around the world will take advantage of the global platform of the event, enticing fans to visit diverse destinations, such as Rotterdam in the Netherlands, host cities Guadalajara and Seoul, and the home of the reigning tournament Champions, the Dominican Republic.
Below is a full listing of marketing partners (as of February 23):
| PARTNER NAME | CATEGORY |
| Aeon Card | Credit Card |
| Aga | Beverages |
| Asahi Breweries | Beer |
| AT&T (Mexico – Jersey) | Telecommunications |
| Autobuses Pacifico | Transportation |
| Banco BHD Leon (Dominican Republic – Jersey) | Retail Banking |
| Brooks Brothers Japan | Suits |
| Bumin Hospital | Hospital |
| Canadian Tire (Canada – Helmet) | Retail |
| Cathay Bank (Chinese Taipei – Helmet) | Financial Services |
| Cerveceria Presidente | Beer |
| City of Rotterdam | Tourism |
| Claro (Dominican Republic – Helmet) | Telecommunications |
| Comex (Mexico – Helmet) | Construction |
| Curaçao Tourism (Netherlands – Jersey) | Tourism |
| Dominican Republic Tourism Company | Tourism |
| Delta | Airline |
| Efecty (Colombia – Jersey) | Money Transfer |
| ENEOS | Energy |
| Flex Power | Sports Cream |
| Gatorade | Isotonic Beverages |
| Gobierno Bolivariano de Venezuela (Venezuela – Helmet) | Government |
| GungHo Online Entertainment (Global; Japan – Jersey) | Gaming |
| Hospital San Javier | Hospital |
| HTC (Chinese Taipei – Jersey) | Consumer Electronics |
| Hublot (Global) | Timepiece |
| PARTNER NAME | CATEGORY |
| JTB | Travel |
| Kia | Automobile |
| Lawson HMV Entertainment | Ticket Vendor |
| LendLease (Australia – Jersey) | Project Management/Construction |
| LG (Korea – Jersey & Helmet) | Consumer Electronics |
| Mizuno | Sportswear |
| Monte | Candy |
| Nippon Express (Global; Japan – Helmet) | Logistics/Moving |
| Nomura Securities (Global) | Financial Services |
| OFVC | Tourism |
| PDVSA (Venezuela – Jersey) | Energy |
| Potosinos | Trucking |
| Savas | Soft Drink |
| Seoul City | Government |
| Shinhyub | Credit Union |
| Sodastream (Israel – Jersey & Helmet) | Carbonated Beverages |
| StrikeZon | Baseball |
| Sun Life Financial (Canada – Jersey) | Insurance and Financial Planning |
| Tecate | Beer |
| T-Mobile (Puerto Rico – Jersey) | Telecommunications |
| Universal (Puerto Rico – Helmet) | Insurance |
| Value | Financial Services |
| Wellink (Netherlands – Helmet) | Pork Distributor |
| Wingo (Colombia – Helmet) | Airline |
| Zapopan | Tourism |