By Andy Marston, Sports Pundit
Major League Baseball (MLB) has teamed up with Niantic’s Pokémon GO in a three-year deal to enhance in-stadium experiences and engage new audiences. Starting Opening Day 2025, all 30 MLB stadiums will feature team-branded PokéStops and Gyms within the Pokémon GO app.
Pokémon GO remains a global phenomenon, with 115M monthly active users—a valuable new audience for MLB.
Fans attending games can access exclusive in-game content, team-branded items, and special Timed Research missions.
Select games will host Pokémon GO Theme Nights, offering in-game bonuses and exclusive merch.
MLB joins a growing list of sports properties leveraging gaming and AR to attract younger audiences and enhance fan engagement.
Why It Matters:
With baseball’s core fanbase aging (avg. MLB fan is 45+), partnerships like this help introduce the sport to younger generations. MLB has seen a 9.8% increase in ticket buyers aged 18-35 since 2019, but still faces a challenge in enticing new fans—this collaboration could help bridge that gap.
Augmented Reality (AR) enhances the in-stadium experience rather than pulling attention away, making it a natural fit for sports brands. Features like ‘Official Routes’ create an interactive stadium tour, rewarding fans for exploring ballparks and adding a new entertainment layer to gameday.
This deal is part of a broader trend of sports teams gamifying the live experience to drive attendance and engagement. As teams and leagues look beyond the on-field product to compete for fan attention, expect more creative gaming partnerships.
P.S. We’d expect Snapchat to have a significant influence on this space, too.
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