By Derek Helling – Last Word On Baseball
Major League Baseball has become the first professional sports league to make Under Armour its official apparel provider, partnering with Fanatics to bring the new Under Armour uniform-driven and fan-driven apparel to the general public.
Under Armour Snags MLB Apparel Contract
Under Armour will begin providing all the elements of the uniforms that coaches, managers, and players wear for the 2020 season. Prior to Opening Day 2020, selected merchandise prominently bearing the Under Armour logo will be available for fans to purchase, and the goal of the partnership is to bring Fanatics’ brand of responsive and timely apparel retailing to MLB’s market.
Under Armour has been the official base layer provider of MLB since 2000, and the official performance footwear partner since 2011. Now, they will provide MLB with all the elements of its uniforms from the beginning of the contract through 2030. Fanatics has sold officially licensed merchandise on its web site for years as well, but will now become the exclusive distributor of Under Armour’s MLB merchandise.
While the exact value of the deal hasn’t been released, Under Armour represents a strong brand for MLB to expand its partnership with. Fanatics has also seen tremendous growth in its now 21-year history, making the deal an even stronger play for MLB. For Under Armour and Fanatics, MLB represents a huge market that both companies will now get a strong foothold in.
Fans who want to get a sense of what apparel might be coming down the pike for their favorite MLB teams can look to Under Armour’s merchandise for other sports brands, including the only other professional league products that Under Armour has produced, its exclusive NFL Combine line of apparel.
By enabling all three entities to do what each is best at and fulfill the needs of the other two, this business partnership is a win for all three parties involved.
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