Ford replaces Chevy as Major League Baseball's official auto partner
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After two decades as Major League Baseball's official automotive partner, Chevrolet is being replaced by Ford Motor Co.
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On March 23, Ford enters an exclusive partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), Lisa Materazzo, Ford's global chief marketing officer, told the Detroit Free Press.
The national partnership will launch on Opening Day this year — starting on March 25 when the New York Yankees play the San Francisco Giants. The next day, the Detroit Tigers play the San Diego Padres along with 11 other Opening Day games and more games follow on March 27, according to ESPN.
Uzma Rawn Dowler, MLB vice president of Global Corporate Partnerships, told the Detroit Free Press the partnership is for five years.
In recent marketing, Ford has been touting itself as America's car company, noting that 80% of the cars Ford sells in the United States are also made here. Baseball is known as America's favorite pastime, so the partnership made sense to both parties, Dowler and Materazzo said.
As part of the national partnership between Ford and MLB, Ford will pay for official sponsorships during broadcasts and in-person games. Ford will also display its vehicles at certain stadiums and participate in conducting other events that showcase the automaker and baseball in relation to July Fourth, the All-Star week, the World Series and more, Materazzo said.
Ford also secures rights across Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball and Softball, including the Little League World Series. This gives Ford and local dealers a chance to make an impact through community events, youth clinics, and equipment donations.
"When fans attend a game, they will see various points of interaction with the brand. I won't go into the details. I don't want to give away too much of some of the surprising features that we have planned," Materazzo said. "They will see us at Little League ... in terms of supporting at that grassroots level: That's clinics, that's grants, that's funding. Things that will happen at a community level in their local markets."
What to expect at Comerica Park
But don't look for the Chevrolet vehicles displayed on the perch above centerfield at Comerica Park to be replaced with Ford cars anytime soon. Those Chevrolet cars remain as part of a deal between the local Tiger franchise and the Southeast Michigan Chevrolet Dealers, Ford spokesman Dan Barbossa said.
But Tigers fans will see Ford advertised across other MLB platforms including the MLB Network, MLB social media, during national Tigers broadcasts, and at Comerica Park when the Tigers make a playoff run. Also, because the partnership is league-wide, Ford will be doing activities at every postseason ballpark, no matter where October baseball is played.
Ford has had a long relationship with baseball going back to early World Series broadcasts, community programs, and its long-standing ties to teams, players, and fans. Ford has active partnerships now with 10 MLB clubs: Athletics, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.
The new MLB partnership will make Ford more than a logo on a stadium wall, it will make Ford an active participant in the community, Materazzo said.
"We get not only exposure to an audience that is very attractive to the Ford brand, but we get a level of engagement that goes beyond a simple sponsorship of awareness," Materazzo said of the partnership.
The partnership also helps Ford reach families at a local level through Minor League and Little League too, MLB's Dowler said.
"(Ford) felt like Little League was a great opportunity for them to penetrate family households as well and family decision makers when it comes to car buying," Dowler told the Detroit Free Press.
Ford and MLB to own July Fourth
Materazzo said Ford has been in discussion with MLB for several months to define the terms of the partnership, including the cost to Ford, of which she declined to disclose saying it is confidential as part of the agreement.
General Motors' Chevrolet brand has had a partnership with MLB since 2005. In 2016, the Detroit Free Press reported Chevrolet renewed its role as the Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball and became the Official Automotive Sponsor of USA Baseball’s Play Ball initiative — a collaborative effort to encourage youth participation in baseball and softball.
MLB's Dowler said the baseball organization was drawn to Ford when Chevrolet's deal expired, because MLB wanted to dominate the July Fourth holiday this year, given it is America's 250th birthday.
"Celebrating America's 250th birthday really was an opportune time for us to plant our flag, no pun intended, in terms of ownership of July Fourth and in our conversations with Ford, as it relates to their interest in baseball, both of our brands are American traditions," Dowler said. "They had a strong interest in really aligning with us and also taking ownership of July Fourth and becoming a presenting partner."
Dowler said MLB has never had a partner for July Fourth, so for the first year Ford and MLB will co-create an event together.
"When you think about drive-in movie theaters, they're so iconic to American tradition and summer baseball," Dowler said. "Over July Fourth, we'll have drive-in movie theater activations where fans can come, watch a slate of baseball programming and baseball games that day, followed by an evening movie, possibly 'The Field of Dreams.' "
Ford: Partnership is 'a great fit'
Materazzo said the MLB partnership Ford struck will be "a great fit" for the Dearborn-based automaker and MLB.
"When we evaluate partnerships like this, we always look at performance metrics, but we also look at brand alignment and this partnership checked the box strongly in each of those areas," Materazzo said. "Baseball and Ford are both powered brands and they have deep roots in American culture and communities. That is key for us."
She added that the partnership comes as both brands are experiencing renewed cultural relevancy.
"When you look at MLB and you look at the full journey of the game from Little League to the World Series, it mirrors how Ford shows up across America, from small towns to big cities, through our dealerships, putting that local community first, putting jobs first, putting family traditions in American values first," Materazzo said. "That was a really important consideration in deciding to do this and to do this now."
Fans will have a chance to win some prizes as part of this deal. The automaker and Major League Baseball are launching the Drive Them Home Sweepstakes, which offers a chance to win tickets to the All-Star Game and a chance to win a 2026 F-150 Lariat pickup, a 2026 Expedition Platinum SUV, or a 2026 Bronco Badlands SUV. You can go to www.forddrivethemhome.com to enter.
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer for USA TODAY Co. who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford replaces Chevy as Major League Baseball's official auto partner