Ford Motor Company today, March 23, announced a multiyear exclusive partnership with Major League Baseball, according to information shared with Marketing Dive. The deal makes Ford the official automotive partner of the league and will place it at key moments throughout the baseball season, including Opening Day, All-Star Week, the MLB at Field of Dreams specialty game and the World Series.
The automotive brand will also be a presenting sponsor of the MLB’s yet-to-be-revealed Fourth of July initiative, and will have sponsorship rights across Minor League Baseball, Little League Baseball and Softball, and the Little League World Series. Additionally, Ford will provide grant funding to Little Leagues in areas with Ford operations, such as Detroit and Buffalo, New York.
The move from Ford builds on the automaker’s existing ties to baseball, which includes active relationships with 10 MLB clubs. The latest effort is designed to bridge “nostalgic Americana with a tech-forward future,” per release details, while reminding baseball fans that America is at its best when people come together.
“For generations, baseball has brought families and communities together and so has Ford,” said Lisa Materazzo, Ford’s global chief marketing officer in press materials. “This partnership is about honoring tradition while putting real capability behind the moments that matter for fans, players, and for the communities that keep the game, and the country, moving forward.”
In 2025, MLB passed $2 billion in sponsorship revenue for the first time. Earlier this month, Anheuser-Busch expanded its long-time partnership with MLB to cover ready-to-drink cocktail products Cutwater and Nütrl Vodka Seltzer. Coors Banquet will also advertise around the 2026 season, marking the first time the Molson Coors brand has advertised during live sports in half a decade.
In February, MLB announced efforts to grow its digital presence through an expanded partnership with TikTok. The move is meant to increase the popularity of the sport in Japan, Europe, Korea and Mexico. In 2025, TikTok posts using a #MLB hashtag grew nearly 60%.
