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A Quick Look at the 2022 MLB Season
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How fans may feel after the drama, and how the brand may be impacted
MLB fans, the nightmare is (mostly) over. The MLB lockout came to an end early yesterday afternoon (March 10), with the MLB owners coming to a tentative agreement on a collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Player’s Union. With the agreement, the MLB is expected to have a full 162 game schedule, having to reschedule the first few weeks of the season that were ultimately postponed.
As we come out of this lockout and head into the regular season, there are some questions about the challenges the MLB faces - because the fans do not forget, and will not forget this 99 day saga between the owners and players.
A Damaged Brand Image - Rob Manfred
Rob Manfred has damaged the brand of the league, there is no question about it. From comments about the World Series trophy being a “piece of metal”, to claiming that MLB owners can make better returns in the stock market than owning a team, to a viral image of Manfred laughing while he announces cancelling games at a press conference - it might be safe to say that Manfred might be the most hated commission in North America.
With his leadership representing the face of the MLB from a league standpoint, it is no question that brands and fans will question how their support of the league may reflect as a vote of confidence for Manfred. This tweet from Mike Trout might just say it all:
Sponsorship Opportunities or Hesitancies?
Although the MLB saw a 50% increase in sponsorship from 2020 to 2021, the growth from here comes with concerns about the stability of the league. Although the new CBA will lock in the players to a multi-year deal, the ups and downs from the pandemic to this lockout will leave brands taking an extra step of caution before increasing their sponsorship presence in the league.
With the announcement of an expanded 12 team playoff, there is optimism for the league’s sponsorship revenue. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported that this will lead to the MLB collecting an additional $85 million a year from ESPN from their TV deal alone.
Beyond this, the expansion of the playoffs will hopefully lead to an increase in big market teams playing meaningful October baseball, which is reflected positively in TV ratings. One area of concern is the World Series viewership, which is rising from the historically low 2020 numbers (11.75 million viewers in 2021), but has some ground to make up to reach the highs of 2016 (23.4 million viewers).
The consequences of the lockout will continue to unfold over the next few days, weeks, and months. As the excitement of opening day is around the corner, executives in the league office may be biting their nails to see how fans will respond - and the impact on the league’s bottom line that this disagreement with the players has caused.
Published: March 11, 2022 - Issue 29 of The Sport Marketeer