Major League Baseball (MLB) has secured US hardware retailer Ace Hardware as a new commercial partner in a three-year agreement.
Through a tie-up, Ace Hardware becomes the hardware and home improvement retail partner of the 30-team MLB.
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The brand, headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, will have its logo present across the various MLB media platforms through both virtual signage and branded content during games that are available nationally via TV and streaming.
In addition, MLB will also provide amplification to the tie-up via its range of social and digital media channels.
Additionally, the YardRx Ace Hardware brand will put its name to a brand engagement platform that aims to celebrate baseball's defensive plays and will be given airtime across MLB's various online and social media platforms, called Yard Superstars presented by YardRX.
This tie-up adds to Ace Hardware's specific sponsorship deal covering the ongoing 2025 campaign with the MLB's Philadelphia Phillies.
It has been reported by Sport Business Journal that Publicis Sports provided consultation services around this tie-up, and that this is Ace Hardware's first major US sports league-wide sponsorship since a tie-up with golf's PGA Tour a decade ago.
Uzma Rawn Dowler, chief marketing officer and senior vice president for global partnerships at MLB, has said: "We’re excited to partner with Ace Hardware, another iconic American brand whose impact has been felt by consumers around the country."
This deal has been struck with the 2025 MLB season having gotten underway in late March.
The league's last significant commercial tie-up, a renewal with Dairy Queen for this year's campaign, was unveiled on March 27.
Earlier this month, meanwhile, US sports-focused OTT streaming service and internet TV platform Fubo TV unveiled marketing deals with a trio of MLB teams – the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, and Houston Astros.
