Blackberry At Bat As Presenting Sponsor of MLB Division Series

TBS Pitches Custom On-Air Spot With Johnson For Studio Show

-- Multichannel News, 9/29/2008 12:52:00 PM

Turner Sports has connected with Blackberry as the presenting sponsor for TBS’s exclusive coverage of the 2008 Major League Baseball Division Series.

As part of its sponsorship with Blackberry, Turner will create a custom on-air promo with Ernie Johnson, host of TBS's MLB studio show that will air during each game of the four Division Series, which begins Oct. 1, and the American League Championship Series.

In the spots, Johnson will encourage viewers to send email him on his Blackberry at ejsmailbag@turner.com.  Johnson and the TBS studio team of Hall of Famers Cal Ripken and Dennis Eckersley and Detroit Tigers centerfielder Curtis Granderson will then answer select questions on TBS HotCorner on MLB.com.

Elsewhere, Turner’s postseason sponsor roster will feature Sharp Electronics, the official HDTV of MLB, for the “Lights Out Challenge’, a custom partnership to encourage fans watching at home to conserve energy during Game Four of the ALCS. TBS will drive awareness of the challenge by airing promos during the Division Series and the first three games of the ALCS.  Turner will also create a special micro-site on TBS.com for fans to log on to learn more information about the challenge.  During Game Four of the ALCS, fans will be encouraged to log onto to micro-site to enter the number of lights they have turned off, along with their zip code. A U.S. map on the micro-site will highlight the states that turn off the most lights.

Additionally, new advertisers this year for Turner’s coverage of the MLB playoffs on TBS include Nikon, Warner Brothers, for its upcoming theatrical ‘Pride and Glory’, and MLB partner Bank of America.

Captain Morgan returns as the Turner post game show sponsor for the Division Series and ALCS, along with a number of sponsors from TBS’ MLB regular-season coverage, including Charles Schwab, DHL, Holiday Inn, and Verizon, among others.  

“We are proud to work together with each of these key advertisers for the 2008 Major League Baseball Division Series and ALCS,” said Jon Diament, executive vice president, Turner Sports Ad Sales and Marketing, in a statement. “The individual partnerships we have developed with each of our new partners for this year’s MLB Playoffs are a great example of how Turner Sports Ad Sales customizes a marketing program to meet the needs of our advertising partners.”