MLB, MLBPA Partnership with Cartoon Network Begins Second Season
Partnership includes new commercial spots to promote baseball card collecting
Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) have
joined with Cartoon Network for the second year of a program designed to promote youth interest in baseball
and baseball card collecting by reaching out to the millions of children who watch Cartoon Network original
programming. The partnership, designed to engage children in the game of baseball via non-traditional media
partners that speak directly to youth audiences, features characters from the popular Cartoon Network program
Codename: Kids Next Door.
In the new spots, highlights of MLB stars are part of a storyline in which characters from Codename: Kids Next
Door talk about the excitement of opening a brand new pack of baseball cards and seeing which MLB stars they
can add to their collections. Each of the six spots will include visuals of the officially-licensed baseball card
companies Donruss, Fleer, Topps and Upper Deck and will be tagged with information about one of these retailers:
Toys "R" Us, Target or the Shop at MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball.
"Major League Baseball is devoted to establishing marketing partnerships that engage young people in the game
of baseball," said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. "We are excited
to be working with Cartoon Network, one of the most influential and popular children's networks, to introduce these
new spots featuring some of the greatest players in the game today."
"This program is all about fun," said Judy Heeter, Director of Licensing and Business Affairs for the MLBPA.
"Action shots of Major League stars will bring the excitement of baseball cards to life for kids -- and show them
an important way to get closer to their favorite players."
The first spot, airing now, features the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter and the Philadelphia Phillies' Jim Thome. Additional
spots will feature highlights of stars including Lance Berkman (Houston Astros), Adam Dunn (Cincinnati Reds), Vladimir
Guerrero (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Torii Hunter (Minnesota Twins), David Ortiz (Boston Red Sox), Albert Pujols (St.
Louis Cardinals), Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers), John Smoltz (Atlanta Braves), Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle
Mariners) and Miguel Tejada (Baltimore Orioles).
All spots will air on Cartoon Network through July 2005 and in Major League Baseball stadiums. Codename: Kids Next Door,
which debuted on Cartoon Network in 2002, is extremely popular with pre-teen audiences, garnering some of the network's highest
ratings with the K6-11 demographic.
About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network, currently seen in 88 million U.S. homes and 170 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System,
Inc.'s 24-hour, ad-supported cable service offering the best in animated entertainment. Drawing from the world's largest
cartoon library, Cartoon Network showcases unique original ventures such as Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Hi Hi Puffy
AmiYumi, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Teen Titans, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Dog, Ed, Edd n Eddy and
other Cartoon Cartoons. Since its launch in 1992, Cartoon Network has remained one of ad-supported cable's highest-rated
networks. Cartoon Network's Web site is located at www.CartoonNetwork.com (AOL Keyword: Cartoon Network).
Source: MLB Players Association
Date: May 6, 2005
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