MLB Network Leverages Social Media to Woo Baseball Fans

To promote the second year of its spring training series “30 Clubs in 30 Days,” and to attract new viewers to the two-year-old network, the MLB Network this March took the show on the road to 25 spring training ballparks in Florida and Arizona. Outside each of the 30 stadiums, the network parked its mobile vehicle where fans took the opportunity to play first round draft pick and get virtually interviewed by MLB Network personalities Harold Reynolds and Hazel Mae. Each fan watched the interview, and after being videotaped in front of a screen and answering team-specific questions, brand ambassadors showed the guests how to download their video, email it to themselves and post directly to Facebook. Every day, MLB Network chose the best interview and posted it on its Facebook fan page, where it was available for reposting and viral dissemination.

“We wanted to have something that was TV-based to show viewers what we can do,” Mary Beck, svp-marketing and promotions at MLB Network, told Buzz. “We’re a niche network and we only need to reach baseball fans, and this was the best way to show we’re there for the fans and we appreciate the fans.” Agencies: Cenergy Marketing and Communications, East Aurora, NY; nSixty, Cincinnati.