Royals players will have advertisement on batting helmets in Wild Card games
When Tommy Pham* digs into the batter’s box Tuesday to open Game 1 of an American League Wild Card series in Baltimore, Royals fans may notice something unusual.
*Here’s guessing it’ll be Pham, who has a career .286 average against Orioles starter Corbin Burnes
Pham will be wearing a Royals batter’s helmet, as expected. But it’ll look much different. There will be advertising on it.
In September, Major League Baseball announced it signed a deal with Strauss, a German workwear and utility gear company. The Royals and the 11 other teams in the postseason field will have the Strauss name prominently displayed on their batting helmets for all playoff games.
ESPN said the advertisement will be 5 inches by 0.92 inches, so it’ll be hard to miss.
And it won’t be for the postseason alone. In announcing the partnership, MLB said the advertisement will be used in the next four postseasons, along with all minor-league games starting in 2025. It’ll also be on MLB helmets for games played in Europe through the 2027 season.
“We are proud that STRAUSS selected Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball as the marketing platform to introduce its brand to the U.S. market,” MLB deputy commissioner of business and media Noah Garden said on the league’s website. “The fact that our two organizations have so much in common — generational legacy, teamwork, dedication to a craft, celebrating a job well done — is a key to what made this partnership so compelling, and we’re looking forward to working together for years to come.”
