Japanese logistics company Nippon Express (NX Group) has signed a regional partnership with North American baseball’s MLB, covering its Los Angeles Dodgers versus Chicago Cubs series.
The agreement will see NX Group sponsor the MLB’s opening games of its World Tour Tokyo Series 2025 at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19 as the official logistics partner.
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As part of the agreement, Chicago Cubs players will have the NX Group logo featured on their sleeves, and NX Group adverts will be aired on the vision screen at the Tokyo Dome.
The series also includes the Chicago Cubs and the LA Dodgers of the MLB take on the Hanshin Tigers and the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s NPB baseball league in exhibition games across March 15 and 16, however, these matches are not covered by the NX deal.
The 2024 World Series-winning Dodgers, which boast the high-profile Japanese player Shohei Ohtani, are of particular interest to the Japanese market, and the team has already secured several major sponsorships in the country.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is another Japanese player at the Dodgers, while the Cubs also boast Japan’s Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki, meaning the Tokyo Series is likely to be a major draw in one of the MLB’s biggest international markets.
The NX Group meanwhile has been sponsoring MLB since 2016.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers have announced a multi-year partnership agreement with Japan’s Hakkaisan Brewery.
As part of the new deal, the company’s sake products will be made available at select Dodger Stadium concession locations, and it will conduct in and out-of-stadium promotions and activations.
Additionally, as the Dodgers’ exclusive sake partner, Hakkaisan will provide co-branded bottles for sale in selected stores in Southern California.
Jiro Nagumo, president of Hakkaisan, said: “It is a great honor to collaborate with such a historic team, and we are truly excited about the opportunity to expand the potential of sake to the greater Los Angeles area/Southern California.
“This partnership with the Dodgers marks a significant step toward realizing our dream of making sake a globally recognized beverage.”
Read more: Big in Japan: How MLB is swinging for the fences in the Asian market
