Press Release MP & Silva
MP & Silva to Distribute Media Rights for the 2013 World Baseball Classic including Qualifiers
MIAMI, 05 SEPTEMBER 2012 – MP & Silva, a leading international media rights agency, announced that the company was selected by World Baseball Classic Inc., a partnership between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to operate the World Baseball Classic tournament, to distribute all qualifying and main draw tournament games for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The worldwide deal – excluding USA, Puerto Rico, Canada and Japan – will grant MP & Silva distribution rights for the World Baseball Classic across cable, satellite, terrestrial, IPTV, internet and mobile platforms.
The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories. More than 1.5 million fans from all over the world have attended the tournament games, held in March 2006 and 2009. Team Japan is the reigning World Baseball Classic Champion, taking home both the inaugural and 2009 titles. The upcoming World Baseball Classic will be played in March 2013 and will again feature the greatest baseball-playing nations in the world. The 2013 edition will build upon the success of the 2009 World Baseball Classic when the tournament was broadcast by 60 broadcast partners (25 on-site) to over 220 countries and territories, generating 660 hours of transmission feeds. The upcoming edition expects increases in TV, digital and mobile audiences as well as distribution of more than 4,500 on-site media credentials.
The media rights package includes 39 games in the main draw and 24 games in qualifying rounds.
A new World Baseball Classic Qualifying Round expands the competitive field from 16 to 28 countries. The new round features 16 teams, including the four World Baseball Classic teams from 2009 that did not win a game, divided into four pools of four teams each. World Baseball Classic qualifying rounds will take place in September and November 2012. Venues hosting qualifying games include Armin-Wolf-Baseball-Arena in Regensburg, Germany; Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Panama; XinZuang Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan; and Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.
Pool play and elimination rounds in World Baseball Classic main draw competition will utilize MLB ballparks in San Francisco (AT&T Park), Miami (Marlins Park), and Phoenix (Chase Field) to host games in the United States. San Francisco will host the semi-finals and final of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. International venues that will host 2013 World Baseball Classic games, pool composition and game dates will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Carlo Pozzali, CEO Americas, said: “We are delighted to partner with World Baseball Classic Inc. for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. We are already long-term partners of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and we are fully committed to use MP & Silva’s international broadcasting network to increase audiences of baseball globally.”
“We are looking forward to working with MP & Silva on media distribution for the upcoming World Baseball Classic and Qualifier,” said Paul Archey, President of World Baseball Classic, Inc. “They have a great deal of experience in the international marketplace that can help us make the 2013 World Baseball Classic tournament available to baseball fans around the globe.”
“We believe MP & Silva is a tremendous partner for the 2013 World Baseball Classic,” said Timothy Slavin, member of WBC Board of Directors. “MP& Silva’s experience in worldwide media distribution will help baseball in general and the World Baseball Classic in particular, to reach unprecedented levels of awareness and popularity. The World Baseball Classic promises to be one of the most exciting and most watched international sporting events of 2013.”