Major League Baseball and Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (KONAMI) today announced a new global partnership to engage and continue growing MLB’s fan base around the world and promote the latest MLB-licensed mobile game – eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT. As part of the MLB partnership, KONAMI is launching a global marketing campaign for eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT with multimedia creative spots featuring Baltimore Orioles All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman and San Diego Padres All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill across digital and social media platforms. As part of its advertising mix, the 2025 MLB Opening Day presented by eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT composite logo will run on MLB.com, MLB Network, MLB social media accounts and MLB media partners around the U.S. KONAMI also activated inside and outside the Tokyo Dome to promote eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT during the MLB Tokyo Series presented by Guggenheim.
Another landmark feature of this partnership provides the MLB All-Star Ballot with a global sponsor and mobile game extension for the first time; it also allows for more people to access MLB All-Star voting abroad than previously available. The 2025 Pro Spirit MLB All-Star Ballot launches this season and more details on the updated fan voting integration will be announced at a later date. As the Title Partner of the All-Star Ballot, eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT branding will be featured across MLB’s various media platforms as fans cast votes online for their favorite players.
“KONAMI has been innovating video games for nearly half a century and entertaining sports fans with their unique offerings for decades, but with this highly integrated partnership we can help take eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT to another level and deliver a truly outstanding experience for fans,” said Noah Garden, MLB Deputy Commissioner, Business & Media. “KONAMI’s focus on evolving their consumers’ experience through technology and innovation aligns with our priorities at MLB, making them an ideal partner. We look forward to collaborating throughout the season to promote this fun, new game and highlight our many talented players around the world.”
“We are pleased to announce this strategic partnership with MLB,” said Hideki Hayakawa, Representative Director, President, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. “For over 30 years, we have provided entertaining and immersive baseball video game experiences in Japan and are happy to partner with the league to share those experiences with a greater audience.”
KONAMI’s eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT aims to deliver an authentic, immersive experience that enables fans to enjoy realistic baseball game simulation and player training on their Android or iOS mobile devices. KONAMI plans to implement various measures in eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT, including its “STAR WATCH” system. In “STAR WATCH,” eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT users will predict and vote for a ballplayer according to the theme of each month. After the collective vote is tallied, nominated players will appear in-game with power-ups based on their performance in real-world regular season games and the voting results. What happens during regular season MLB games directly impacts the virtual ballparks in eBaseball™: MLB PRO SPIRIT creating an enjoyable and interactive experience for MLB enthusiasts and video game fans alike. Also planned are in-game events linked to the All-Star Ballot Voting to help determine who will play in the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard each July.
Since 2016, KONAMI has continuously worked to expand and revitalize esports by holding national tournaments for the PAWAFURU PUROYAKYU series. In 2017, KONAMI started using esports for regional promotion by partnering with events such as the Ehime e-baseball Tournament, a cultural program of the Ehime Kokutai (Ehime National Athletic Meet). Since 2018, KONAMI has been hosting a professional esports league in collaboration with Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and they have been working with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) to expand the baseball fan base around the world. In the Olympic Virtual Series 2021 and Olympic eSports Series 2023 international tournaments organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the PAWAFURU PUROYAKYU series was used as the competition title.
About Major League Baseball (MLB)
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 has achieved back-to-back attendance gains for the first time in 12 years with an overall increase of +11% and 80% of Clubs welcoming more fans over the last two seasons following extensive rule changes that have improved the quality of play on the field. With the 2024 season featuring the best time of game in 40 years and the most stolen bases in 109 years, MLB viewership increased across all its national media partners, grew international viewership by +18%, set another record for MLB.TV streaming with more than 14 billion minutes watched and earned League of the Year honors from Sports Business Journal and the CLIOS. As the league increased its marketing efforts and promotion of star players like 2024 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and 2024 AL MVP Aaron Judge, MLB has significantly increased its younger fan base as evidenced through viewership, social media, ticket purchasing, and participation metrics. Through its MLB Together social responsibility efforts, MLB remains committed to making a positive impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world. With the continued success of MLB Network, MLB digital platforms and local media production and distribution, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America's National Pastime and a truly global game. To learn more about MLB, please visit www.mlb.com.
About KONAMI
Konami Digital Entertainment, which is the core company of Konami Group, develops entertaining content for mobile, console and card games. The company is known for global franchises such as eFootball™, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Contra, as well as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game series. www.konami.com/games/corporate/en/