HANOVER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Major League Baseball and Utz® Quality Foods LLC today announced a new multi-faceted sponsorship agreement that extends across television, digital media and retail locations and makes Utz the Official Salty Snack of MLB. Through this new multi-year partnership beginning this season, Utz plans to promote its full assortment of snack products with integrated branding across MLB’s broadcast and digital platforms such as MLB Network and MLB.com. In addition, as part of its first professional sports league partnership, Utz will begin selling products that feature MLB branding at retail locations across the U.S.
“As a nearly 100-year-old, family owned company, Utz is proud to be affiliated with an institution as great as MLB. We both place a great deal of emphasis on quality, family, excellence and tradition, and look forward to finding ways to bring Utz fans and MLB fans closer together,” said Tom Flocco, President and COO of Utz.
As part of the new partnership, Utz will create new, baseball-themed packaging for a variety of its products that will include the silhouetted batter and other official MLB marks for the first time. These products include classic ballpark snacks such as pretzels, potato chips, cheeseballs and popcorn. The multi-year partnership supplies Utz with marketing and activation rights across MLB special events including All-Star Week attractions such as The Color Run All-Star 5K and GEICO All-Star FanFest, the Postseason and the World Series presented by YouTube TV. During these key times on the MLB schedule, fans can expect to see Utz retail promotions and sweepstake opportunities in their local stores.
“Fans have watched baseball games while enjoying their favorite food for decades, so a fully integrated partnership with Utz and its collection of snacks is a perfect match,” said Noah Garden, MLB Executive Vice President, Commerce. “A classic American brand, Utz potato chips, pretzels and cheeseballs are a welcome addition to the MLB lineup of sponsors.”
More information and specific activation plans from Utz will be released at a later date.
About Utz® Quality Foods, LLC Founded in 1921, Utz® Quality Foods, LLC is the largest privately-held and family-managed salty snack company in the United States, producing a full line of products including potato chips, pretzels, cheese snacks, corn chips, tortillas, veggie stix/straws, popcorn, onion rings, pork skins and more. Its brands, which include Utz®, Golden Flake®, Zapp’s®, “Dirty”® Potato Chips, Good Health®, Bachman®, Bachman Jax®, Wachusett®, Snikiddy®, and Boulder Canyon® among others, are distributed nationally and internationally through grocery, mass-merchant, club stores, convenience stores, drug stores and other channels. Based in Hanover, PA, Utz operates twelve manufacturing facilities located in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana and Massachusetts. For information about Utz® or its products, please visit www.utzsnacks.com or call 1-800-FOR-SNAX.
About Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic 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. Led by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., MLB currently features record levels of labor peace, competitive balance and industry revenues, as well as the most comprehensive drug-testing program in American professional sports. MLB remains committed to making an impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world, perpetuating the sport’s larger role in society and permeating every facet of baseball’s business, marketing and community relations endeavors. With the continued success of MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America’s National Pastime and a truly global game. For more information on Major League Baseball, visit www.MLB.com.
