Japanese Hospitality Company JTB Dives Into MLB Partnership  

Japanese hospitality company, JTB, has inked a multi-year partnership with the Major League Baseball (MLB).

Under the collaboration, JTB has been announced as the official sponsor of MLB’s World Tour. 

As part of the deal, the Japanese company will be launching lucrative international hospitality packages and offers for the season opening Seoul Series between Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. 

JLB will also allow non-US fans access to a variety of VIP tickets and hospitality packages for World Tour events, such as the London and Seoul Series. It will also offer tickets to MLB regular season games to Asian fans, which will include transportation and lodging in the United States.

Following the announcement,Noah Garden, Deputy Commissioner, Business & Media of the MLB, commented, “With MLB’s growing international popularity over the last decade, we have continually focused on developing and growing the game abroad”. 

“As we embark on an increasingly ambitious schedule of global events, we need key business partners who can match our ambitions and work closely with us to keep growing Baseball fandom around the globe. We believe JTB can provide that vital support and we look forward to working closely together on the World Tour.”

Eijiro Yamakita, JTB President & CEO, added, “Last year we experienced a dramatic rise in demand for travel and events around the world as we finally moved beyond most challenges caused by the pandemic and now we clearly see that the market needs for real and exciting experiences are very strong.”

“In this situation, we are deeply impressed by MLB’s commitment to bringing the wonderful experience of baseball games to people around the world, as it resonates with our brand slogan: ‘Perfect moments, always.’ We are ready to create opportunities for people to enjoy baseball with our solid global network, knowledge and hospitality.”

According to ASN data, baseball (3.4%, ~US$470.4m) is the 8^th highest sponsored sport in Asia since Q221. Unsurprisingly, Japan (54.9%) and South Korea (40.4%) continue to be the biggest markets for sponsorship investment in the sport, and one of the biggest deals is South Korean tyre giant Hankook backing the MLB reportedly to a tune of US$2.3m.