Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise the Philadelphia Phillies has named long-standing partner Independence Blue Cross (IBX), the local health insurance company, as its first jersey patch sponsor.

That company’s IBX logo will feature on the team’s jersey for the remainder of the season.

The Phillies will become the 22nd MLB team to add a sponsorship patch to its uniforms.

The league introduced jersey patch sponsorships in the 2023 season, a key part of its new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players Association.

In June 2022, the Phillies appointed Two Circles, the international digital-focused sports agency, to sell their jersey patch sponsor.

Philadelphia-based IBX will expand its relationship with the Phillies - as the firm has had a partnership with the team for 36 years.

The health firm is also a jersey patch sponsor of the Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL ice hockey franchise, under a deal signed last year.