{"id":562689,"date":"2026-03-26T19:21:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/562689\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T19:21:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:21:34","slug":"the-sports-brief-mlbs-opening-week-brand-blitz-tom-brady-does-world-cup-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/562689\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sports Brief: MLB\u2019s Opening Week brand blitz, Tom Brady does World Cup and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

MLB Opening Week<\/p>\n

In addition to a fun spot announcing the beginning of its season, Major League Baseball released a slate of news over the past week, including new partnerships with real estate brand Zillow<\/a>, pharmaceutical brand AbbVie,wine brand Mark West, prediction market exchange Polymarket and an exclusive multiyear partnership with Ford. The league is also celebrating its debut on Netflix and return to NBC and Peacock for its Opening Day doubleheader presented by Adobe, featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates against the New York Mets followed by the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The league also announced a full slate of national games and the return of primetime matchups on Fox Sports, AppleTV and TBS.\u00a0<\/p>\n

View this post on Instagram<\/p>\n

A post shared by MLB \u26be (@mlb)<\/a><\/p>\n

Speaking of the Dodgers, auto retailer Edmunds announced its extended partnership with the team and will feature superutility player Tommy Edman in campaign content that will run across the Dodgers\u2019 digital channels, radio broadcasts and select Dodger Stadium activations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Video gaming company Ares Interactive announced the launch of its Baseball Hots 26 mobile game, which will feature MLBPA-license players including cover athlete, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. Available via the App Store and Google Play, players can access special in-game events and rewards on their phones. The brand released a spot starring Raleigh to promote the launch.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Raleigh also stars in Alaska Airlines\u2019 new campaign alongside the team\u2019s groundskeeper and mascot the Mariner Moose for the 2026 MLB season celebrating the union of the Seattle-based brands. The campaign was shot in the team\u2019s home stadium, T-Mobile Park, and was conceptualized, directed and produced by Daniel Mogg of Mogg Media with creative direction provided by the airline.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Kumho Tires announced that for the second consecutive year, the brand will feature home plate digital signage across six major league ballparks, including Angel Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. The prime placement reportedly reaches millions of in-stadium spectators and national TV audiences, and supports Kumho\u2019s growth objectives, reinforcing connections with local communities and, crucially, dealer networks in high-growth markets.<\/p>\n

Rawlings, the official glovemaker for MLB, partnered with Mountain Dew Baja Blast to drop a limited-edition glove that fans can purchase on its site. The PepsiCo-owned soda brand and official soft drink of MLB also launched its \u201cGet a Baja for a Blast\u201d reward promotion, in which a home run that travels 420 feet or more during any regular season game unlocks a free bottle of the beverage for fans nationwide.<\/p>\n

\"MTNDEW(Photo credit: PepsiCo, used, with permission)<\/p>\n

Official water of MLB,\u00a0Primo Brands, announced its partnership with baseball legend and MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., naming him its \u201cCEO of H2O.\u201d Under the agreement Griffey will \u201cbuild the ultimate spring water team,\u201d bringing together the company\u2019s portfolio of brands, which include Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ozarka, Poland Spring and Zephyrhills under a unified campaign tied to the league. He will also engage with fans across social media platforms, share fun trivia for chances to win monthly prizes and be present on the red carpet for MLB All-Star Week.<\/p>\n

NCAA March Madness<\/p>\n

To celebrate the first beginning of the tournament, Carvana lit up its \u201cCar Vending Machines\u201d in 15 cities to support their local NCAA teams, including Detroit, Houston, Louisville, Nashville, Miami, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Cleveland.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Carvana(Photo credit: Carvana, used with permission)<\/p>\n

Dairy Queen\u00a0announced its partnership with 2025 University of Maryland tournament standout and New Orleans rookie center (an aptly named ambassador) Derik Queen, to launch its DQ Bracket Buster Deal. Fans who order the deal\u2019s DQ Chicken Strip Party Platter in the brand app between March 20-April 12 will get a free box of its Buster Bar Treats.<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola builds on its Fan Work is Thirsty Work platform with The Coca-Cola Glass Slipper, a custom size 11 basketball sneaker-shaped cup inspired by the brand\u2019s iconic contour bottle and the game\u2019s ties to sneaker culture which cheekily celebrates the tournament\u2019s \u201cCinderella stories.\u201d The brand says the slipper will be \u201cbestowed to the team and fan base whose tournament journey defies expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A(Photo credit: The Coca-Cola Company, used with permission)<\/p>\n

Stella Artois is bringing its signature \u201ctwo-finger\u201d foam finger back to tournament fans in Chicago and DC, giving them an interactive \u201cPerfect Serve\u201d challenge that may net a lucky fan a year\u2019s worth of the beer. Select bars in the two cities will give out the foam finger and Stella Artois chalices to fans 21 and over, wherein fans who find someone with a foam chalice can enter to win.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Two(Photo credit: AB-InBev, used with permission)<\/p>\n

FIFA World Cup<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola also kicked off its FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour<\/a> in Los Angeles with Italian football legend Alessandro Del Piero, who joined leaders from Coca-Cola and Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling for a ceremony in front of the iconic Hollywood sign to commemorate the trophy\u2019s arrival on U.S. soil. The tour has upcoming stops in cities including Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans and New York\/New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\"A(Photo credit: The Coca-Cola Company, used with permission)<\/p>\n

Ferrero North America released Go All In, its first portfolio-wide campaign uniting almost its entire North American brand portfolio for the tournament. The 360-campaign\u2019s 30-second hero spot, created by agency Anomaly and produced by Shadow Lion, stars brand partner and legend of the other football sport, Tom Brady, and will begin running across broadcast and streaming beginning April 1. The campaign will also include a sweepstakes offering fans a $1 million grand prize.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In other news\u2026<\/p>\n

Multimedia company Just Women\u2019s Sports announced its renewed partnership with the National Women\u2019s Soccer League (NWSL) as its official media partner for the fifth consecutive year. Through the partnership the company will continue to distribute official game highlights throughout the 2026 season across its digital and social platforms.<\/p>\n

Allegra announced its return as the primary partner of Andretti Global and the No. 28 Honda driven by Marcus Ericsson (who has openly shared his struggle with seasonal allergies) for the 2026 IndyCar season, marking year two of the brand\u2019s performance\u2011focused platform in motorsports. The partnership will also include integrated retail activation via race-day moments tied to Walmart Express delivery offers, linking live motorsports performance to real\u2011world convenience.<\/p>\n

The Women\u2019s National Football Conference (WNFC) announced a new partnership with apparel brand Fitjeans, which will become the official jeans of the WNFC. Under the deal the brand will integrate across the league\u2019s assets and athlete platforms throughout the 2026 season and will include paid athlete influencer partnerships with select players, league-wide product seeding, branded content and social and marketing activations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Three(Photo credit: Fitjeans, used with permission)