Under Armour has one of pro baseball’s best players in Bryce Harper wearing its cleats, as well as several other stars throughout the league. And as of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, all players will be wearing something from UA when taking the field.
The Baltimore-based athletic giant announced today that it has signed a 10-year partnership with MLB — as well as with licensed sports merchandise company Fanatics — to become the league’s official uniform provider. The partnership will yield on-field apparel for players as well as merchandise for baseball fans. According to the brand, the partnership makes it the exclusive provider of all on-field uniform components such as jerseys (with Under Armour branding), base layer, game-day outerwear and year-round training apparel.
Under Armour said the partnership “introduces a new revolutionary model defined by its vision for — and investment in — serving millions of fans and players at all stages of the game.” This arrangement is also a milestone for the brand, as it is the first professional league uniform deal for Under Armour.
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“Under Armour is proud of our long-standing relationship with MLB, and we look forward to this exciting next chapter. This is a watershed moment for the Under Armour brand as this partnership with MLB and Fanatics furthers our collective dedication to bringing passion, energy and innovation to the game of baseball,” Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour, said in a statement. “Under Armour’s goal is to engage and excite MLB’s incredibly diverse fan base across America and around the world, and grow the game for the next generation of great athletes.”
Under Armour will also provide exclusive Connected Fitness offerings to the league’s teams that is designed to inform and strengthen player performance.
“We are excited to build on our partnership with Under Armour, a powerful global brand that continues to grow exponentially, and Fanatics, an industry leader in sports licensing,” said Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball commissioner, in a statement. “Under Armour’s marketing ability and brand status are a perfect fit to showcase our players and provide an even stronger connection between our game and its young fans and players. We appreciate Majestic’s many contributions to our clubs, players and fans throughout our partnership.”
As part of the deal, Fanatics will manage the manufacturing and distribution of Under Armour and Fanatics fan gear, such as jerseys at retail, name-and-number products and postseason apparel. Under Armour and Fanatics will also offer new fan gear at retail before the 2020 season.
“This partnership epitomizes our next-generation model which brings much-needed agility to the industry, enhancing both assortment and speed-to-market of MLB merchandise for teams, fans and retailers.” Michael Rubin, executive chairman of Fanatics, said in a statement. “Both Fanatics and Under Armour get to do what each does best, while joining forces with an innovative and tech-savvy league to help grow the game of baseball through a pioneering new business model better suited to today’s digital economy.”
