MGM Resorts will be the title sponsor of MLB’s 2019 Opening Series between the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners, set for the Tokyo Dome March 20-21. As part of the sponsorship, MGM Resorts’ branding will be featured on a jersey patch on the Athletics’ right sleeve.
As a new league partner, the 2019 MGM MLB Opening Series will be MGM Resorts’ first major marketing activation around an MLB event. MGM plans to activate at fan-facing events outside the ballpark, while also having its logo on a jersey patch on the Athletics’ right sleeve during the Opening Series.
“We are very excited to partner with MLB and the MLBPA to deliver a one-of-a-kind fan experience that celebrates baseball in Japan,” said MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren. “We look forward to giving fans a unique experience to participate in baseball activities in and out of the Tokyo Dome.”
“In just a few months as partners, MGM Resorts has really embraced this relationship and expanded their presence in the league,” said Noah Garden, MLB Executive Vice President, Commerce. “MGM Resorts will have a great opportunity to engage with and experience the extraordinary passion of baseball fans in Japan. We’re excited to have our new partners become such a significant part of our games in Tokyo.”
“With this relationship, MGM is reinforcing the depth of its interest in baseball. We’re delighted to welcome them as partners for this event, and our players look forward to working together more directly in ways that maximize fan interest,” said Timothy Slavin, President, MLB Players, Inc.
The 2019 MGM MLB Opening Series, which will serve as A’s home games, will represent the fifth time that MLB has opened its season in Tokyo. The last Opening Series in Tokyo took place in 2012, when the A’s and Mariners split the two games. This will mark the eighth season-opener to be played internationally. MLB has previously opened seasons in Monterrey, Mexico (1999); Tokyo (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012); San Juan, Puerto Rico (2001); and Sydney, Australia (2014). Overall, more than one million fans have attended 19 MLB Opening Series games.
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