MLB Is Back – And It’s a Home Run for Advertisers

Baseball isn’t just a sport—it’s an experience, a culture, and, most importantly, a massive advertising opportunity that has evolved dramatically over the past few years. Gone are the days when MLB advertising was just about TV commercials and stadium signage.

Today, advertisers can reach highly engaged, data-rich audiences across CTV, retail media, and even social commerce, making MLB one of the most powerful—and underutilized—platforms for digital marketers.

So, what’s changed? And how can advertisers capitalize on this evolved landscape? Let’s break it down.

MLB Audiences Are Bigger, More Diverse, and More Engaged

The MLB audience isn’t just growing—it’s changing, and that means new opportunities for brands to connect in smarter ways.

• Streaming dominance: Fans watched 14.5 billion minutes of MLB content in 2024, a 14% YoY increase—proving that live sports are still a major driver of digital engagement. 
• In-person experience is back: MLB attendance hit a seven-year high in 2024, with over 70 million fans packing stadiums—up 9.2% year-over-year.
• More diverse fan base: 38.7% of MLB fans are female, proving baseball’s growing appeal beyond its traditional audience. 
• New engagement channels: The 2024 World Series averaged 368,000 viewers per minute, setting records for digital streaming engagement.

What does this mean for advertisers? It means that reaching baseball fans today requires a more strategic, data-driven approach across multiple channels—not just traditional media buys.

The Future of MLB Advertising: Where You Need to Be

1. CTV & Streaming: The New Prime Time

With MLB streaming up 14% YoY, advertisers can no longer afford to overlook CTV, OTT, and other advanced TV formats as key touchpoints. Fans aren’t just watching on cable—they’re consuming baseball content across smart TVs, mobile devices, and social platforms.

How advertisers can capitalize:

• Place in-content and contextual ads around live streams and shoulder content.
• Use data-driven audience targeting to reach fans based on viewing habits.
• Take advantage of CTV partners to serve ads where engagement is highest.

2. Retail Media: The Home Run Play for Brands

MLB fans are active consumers. Whether they’re buying team merch, grilling for game day, or purchasing sports gear, their shopping habits create prime retail media opportunities.

How advertisers can capitalize:

• Target past MLB merchandise buyers with retail media ads on Amazon & Walmart.
• Align with game-day shopping trends by using programmatic retail targeting.
• Leverage first-party data to re-engage fans post-purchase.

3. Social Commerce & Fan Engagement

Baseball isn’t just watched—it’s discussed. Fans engage on social media through hashtags, player highlights, fantasy leagues, and in-game discussions.

How advertisers can capitalize:

• Use social-first ad placements to tap into trending conversations.
• Leverage interactive formats (polls, quizzes, live Q&As) to boost engagement.
• Align with MLB creators & influencers to make your brand part of the dialogue.

4. Location-Based Targeting: The Power of Physical Presence

With MLB attendance surging, brands now have an opportunity to target fans based on their real-world behavior.

How advertisers can capitalize:

• Use geo-targeting to serve ads to stadium visitors.
• Retarget fans who have attended live games with exclusive post-event offers.
• Engage local audiences with DOOH (digital out-of-home) ads near stadiums.

5. First-Party Data & Contextual Relevance

With third-party cookies fading, MLB’s first-party data ecosystem gives advertisers high-value audience insights to refine their targeting.

How advertisers can capitalize:

• Activate purchase-based segments to target fans who’ve bought MLB-related products.
• Use contextual placements around live games, news articles, and fantasy sports content.
• Integrate MLB loyalty data to personalize messaging for season ticket holders and die-hard fans.

The Bottom Line: Now’s the Time to Invest in MLB Advertising

The MLB advertising playbook has evolved—and the brands that embrace CTV, social commerce, retail media, and real-world data will come out on top.

Want a custom game plan for reaching MLB audiences in 2025?

Download our MLB Advertising Package today to see how we can help you craft a high-performance campaign. Let’s turn baseball’s most engaged fans into your next loyal customers. Grab your copy here!