T-Mobile and Major League Baseball Announce Multi-Year Technology and Marketing Agreement

America’s Un-Carrier joins MLB and MLB Advanced Media to enhance the national pastime with game-changing wireless technology

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Major League Baseball (MLB) announced today at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show that T-Mobile is now the Official Wireless Sponsor of MLB. As part of the multi-year, multimillion-dollar partnership, T-Mobile will work with MLB and its industry-leading digital media and technology company, MLB Advanced Media L.P. (MLBAM), to enhance America’s national pastime on and off the field with game-changing wireless capabilities. This marks the first time in more than a decade that MLB has partnered with a major wireless provider.

“We look forward to working with Major League Baseball and are excited they have chosen T-Mobile’s technology to power a new, in-game communication system at ballparks across the country”

Under the agreement, T-Mobile will provide MLB with a new On-Field Communication System, powered by T-Mobile’s powerful nationwide 4G network technology. The first use of this technology will be in a wireless voice system connecting managers in select Major League dugouts to coaches in bullpens. This dugout-to-bullpen system will start to roll out in 2013 and the new On-Field Communication System solution will offer greater mobility as well as options for future innovation within the game.

“We look forward to working with Major League Baseball and are excited they have chosen T-Mobile’s technology to power a new, in-game communication system at ballparks across the country,” said Mike Sievert, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “Unlike a typical sponsorship, we’re approaching this partnership as a collaboration in which T-Mobile, MLB and MLBAM will work together to evolve the game with exciting new technology innovation, enhancing the experience for customers and fans.”

“T-Mobile has made a significant commitment to Major League Baseball across our game and business, and its innovative drive and expertise in wireless technology will be an outstanding addition to the baseball industry,” said Tim Brosnan, MLB executive vice president, business. “T-Mobile has been an impact player in the wireless industry, and we look forward to its innovative spirit positively influencing the game and the way fans enjoy it.”

In collaboration with MLBAM, T-Mobile also will tap the power of its nationwide 4G network, currently available in 229 metro areas, reaching more than 220 million people, to further enhance and broaden network coverage and connectivity for fans in MLB ballparks. This past season, MLB recorded its fifth-best attendance year in its long and storied history by attracting more than 74.8 million fans to regular-season games.

In addition, MLBAM, which develops, deploys and distributes the top-ranked sports mobile application of all-time — MLB.com At Bat — will work with T-Mobile to enrich the digital experience on T-Mobile’s smartphones and tablets; create custom, compelling content exclusively for its customers; and develop promotional opportunities and unique offers for MLB.com content.

“Baseball is America’s No. 1 digitally consumed sport, and today’s baseball fan is technologically savvy and data hungry, which makes this partnership a great opportunity for not only baseball enthusiasts, but also millions of T-Mobile customers,” Sievert said.

“The underpinning of a partnership with a key provider such as T-Mobile mirrors baseball’s long-held belief in leveraging and implementing wireless technology to deliver first-rate products and services to the industry and our fans,” said Bob Bowman, president and CEO, MLBAM. “T-Mobile will play an important role as we continue that focus on bringing top-notch content, connectivity and customizable experiences to consumers wherever they are.”

The T-Mobile investment in baseball is a comprehensive, multifaceted marketing approach that will include partnerships with national broadcast partners FOX, Turner, MLB Network, and ESPN. T-Mobile will be the presenting sponsor of ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball, including on-air, digital and mobile sponsorship initiatives, in addition to features on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. T-Mobile and MLB also will develop marquee media opportunities and marketing extensions at events throughout the year, as well as local sponsorships with select MLB Clubs. Currently, T-Mobile is a sponsor of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Seattle Mariners.

For additional visuals, visit T-Mobile’s press room at http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/press-kits.

For more information about T-Mobile’s products and services, visit www.t-mobile.com.

Follow MLB Public Relations on Twitter at twitter.com/MLB_PR.

About Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the oldest professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Under the guidance of its ninth Commissioner, Allan H. (Bud) Selig, MLB has experienced dramatic changes including Interleague Play, the introduction of the Wild Cards, the new expanded Postseason format in 2012, the most comprehensive drug-testing program in U.S. professional sports, an unprecedented era of labor peace, significant revenue sharing among the clubs and growth in revenue from $1.2 billion in 1992 to more than $7.5 billion in 2012. The last nine years have produced the nine best-attended individual seasons in MLB history, including nearly 75 million in 2012, the fifth-highest ever. With the continued success of MLB Network, MLB Advanced Media and the MLB Fan Cave, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy the National Pastime. For more information on Major League Baseball, visit www.MLB.com.

About MLB Advanced Media

Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major League Baseball club owners to centralize all of Baseball’s Internet operations, MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) is the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball. MLBAM manages the official league site, www.MLB.com, and each of the 30 individual Club sites to create the most comprehensive Major League Baseball resource on the Internet. MLB.com offers fans the most complete baseball information and interactivity on the web, including up-to-date statistics, game previews and summaries, extensive historical information, online ticket sales, baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles, fantasy games, live full-game video streaming and in-progress and on-demand highlights, live and archived audio broadcasts of every game, Gameday pitch-by-pitch application, around-the-clock hosted and specialty video programming, complete blogging capabilities and the award-winning suite of At Bat mobile applications. MLBAM powers more live events on the Internet than any other website in the world.

About T-Mobile USA:

Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the third quarter of 2012, approximately 131 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.3 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements in this news release regarding the business outlook, expected performance and forward-looking guidance, as well as other statements that are not historical facts, are forward looking statements. The words “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “believe,” “target,” “providing guidance” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are estimates and projections reflecting management’s judgment based on currently available information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. With respect to these forward-looking statements, management has made assumptions regarding, among other things, customer and network usage, customer growth and retention, pricing, operating costs, the timing of various events and the economic and regulatory environment.