As the post-PASPA land-grab continues, Major League Baseball has become the third and latest US professional sports league to team up with MGM Resorts in a wide-ranging sports betting partnership.
The multi-year deal casts MGM Resorts as the first Official Gaming Partner of MLB and the Official Entertainment Partner of MLB.
The agreement combines the MLB with MGM Resorts and playMGM brands across league and team sponsorships, data usage in gaming, promotion across MLB media platforms and domestic and international activations at MLB events.
The deal with MLB follows similar betting partnerships between MGM and the NBA and NHL leagues; sealed in July and October respectively.
“We are pleased to partner with MGM Resorts International, a clear industry leader in the sports gaming area, to work together on bringing innovative experiences to baseball fans and MGM customers,” said baseball commissioner Robert D Manfred Jr.
“Our partnership with MGM will help us navigate this evolving space responsibly, and we look forward to the fan engagement opportunities ahead.”
MGM Resorts chairman and CEO Jim Murren added: “We are excited to enter into this historic partnership with MLB. We are thrilled to create a new one-of-a-kind fan experience for baseball fans.
“Combining MGM Resorts’ world class entertainment and technology with MLB data will continue to transform a rapidly changing industry. This partnership further amplifies the significance of our GVC joint venture, firmly establishing MGM Resorts and playMGM as the market leader in partnerships with major professional sports leagues.”
MLB intellectual property will appear in MGM advertising and promotional campaigns. MGM also will secure multiple MLB Club partnerships, will have a presence at MLB Jewel Events, including the All-Star Game and World Series.
In the US, MGM Resorts will promote the MLB brand and gaming options on MLB’s digital and broadcast platforms, including MLB Network, MLB.com and the MLB At Bat app.
MGM Resorts will also be identified as an MLB-Authorised Gaming Operator and utilise MLB’s official statistics feed, on a non-exclusive basis, across its digital and live domestic sports gaming options.
In Japan, MGM Resorts will be an official partner at grassroots baseball events like the MLB Road Show.