MLB Uniform Sponsors Approach $1 Million of Exposure Value during Season-Opening Telecasts from Japan

         ANN ARBOR, MI, March 27, 2008 – Major League Baseball eased its restrictions on uniform advertising for the 2008 Opening Series in Japan this week featuring the Boston Red Sox and Oakland A’s.  EMC appeared on the sleeves of each Red Sox player and coach, while the A’s featured a Pepsi patch during ESPN2’s live and replayed coverage of the two-game stand from the Tokyo Dome.  Combined, the four total broadcasts delivered $851,000 of in-broadcast exposure value to the uniform sponsors.

        According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc. — which specializes in measuring the impact of sponsorships across all forms of media — the EMC sleeve logos appeared clear and in-focus for a total of 18 minutes, eight seconds (18:08) during the four ESPN2 telecasts.  When comparing the in-broadcast exposure to the estimated cost of a commercial during the game telecasts, EMC is credited with $544,000.

        Pepsi’s presence on the Oakland uniforms led to a total on-camera time of 10:14 during the various ESPN2 airings, earning the soft drink brand $307,000 of comparable exposure value.

        As the title sponsor of the opening series in Japan, Ricoh was given some prized sponsorship territory of its own, appearing on the batting helmets of both teams.  Altogether, the Ricoh helmet logo amassed $498,000 of television exposure during the live and replayed coverage, from 16:36 of total on-screen time.

About Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc.:

         Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc. is the sports and entertainment industry leader in accurate measurement and evaluation of sponsorships and promotional programs.  Joyce Julius’ fully customizable, third party research is highlighted by in-broadcast television exposure monitoring, full media impact measurements, and fan/consumer perception analyses.

         The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based firm—which monitors more than 2,500 nationally televised sports and special event programs annually—has been measuring the impact of corporate sponsorships across all forms of media since 1985.  These forms of media include national and regional event television broadcasts, television highlight and news programming, event radio, print media, Internet articles, along with exposure stemming from promotions and advertising, as well as event on-site elements.

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