The game for Minor League Baseball and its 244 teams is about to change because of a multi-year Esurance sponsorship with MiLB.
Esurance Sponsorship with MiLB Changes the Game
Local communities have been the focus of marketing for MiLB teams in the past. Sharing a national sponsor with Major League Baseball for the first time allows these clubs to promote themselves on an unprecedented national scale.
Players promoted to the majors will be the focus of the “Call-Up Worthy” campaign. Late-season roster additions will be the niche of “September Call-Ups”.
Added exposure for MiLB clubs will come as a result of the “Home Field Advantage” awards. A partnership with Big Brothers and Big Sisters is an example of programs springing out of this Esurance sponsorship with MiLB.
Individual club sponsorships
Expectations from this point include additional sponsorship deals between Esurance and individual MiLB clubs. That means additional revenue for those clubs.
It’s not clear yet how that will affect salaries for minor-league players. A class-action lawsuit accusing MLB of violating minimum wage laws is still in progress. In response to this, MLB has asked Congress to add minor league players to a list of workers exempt from such policies.
The argument that MiLB/MLB can’t afford to pay players higher salaries may be harmed by this sponsorship. Exactly how much harm will be determined by the value of these deals. MiLB could circumvent that by raising player salaries on their own. That’s unlikely at the lowest levels, where profits are similarly minimal.
As a result of increased media exposure, top prospects could become household names on a larger scale because of this sponsorship. Endorsement deals for a select few players could become more common. New corporate sponsorships for teams might also be on the horizon. If endorsement deals become more prevalent, that could weaken the case of the players who filed the minimum wage lawsuit.
It’s uncertain right now how this sponsorship will change MiLB. What’s certain right now is that the potential for monetization for the individual clubs has increased.
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