MLB First Pitch has reached 282,197 students. The First Baseball Lesson involved celebrities to engage more people. Watch parties connect fans to top competition.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is strongly promoting development in China.
As of May 9, MLB First Pitch has reached 282,197 students among 274 schools in 16 cities. From February to May 2023, First Pitch reached 64 schools in 6 cities, involving 82,603 students.
MLB First Pitch is a grassroots initiative to create a compelling experience that inspires individuals to want to participate in baseball or softball regularly, growing not only participation but also a love for the game.
The First Baseball Lesson is an initiative shaped on China's market. As one of the MLB Original Productions in China, The First Baseball Lesson aims to get more people to engage in the game of baseball. The initiative not only focuses on generating original baseball content but also expanding target groups through diversified cross-marketing offline activities. With the concept of "swinging the first bat in life", The First Baseball Lesson embraces different groups of people to participate in baseball activities.
Key influencers and celebrities are invited to tell the whole process from "first contact" with baseball to "falling in love" and "understanding baseball through personal experience in the way of a baseball community. Celebrities use vlogs to spread their love for the game and achieve the purpose of further expanding the fanbase of baseball.
MLB China organized various watch parties across 16 cities to drive fans to watch the World Baseball Classic and the early stages of the MLB season.
On 15 and 16 April, local tournaments and events in six different cities in China simultaneously honoured for the first time the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson.
Since 2010, MLB has supported College Baseball in China through a University Cup. The 2023 edition involved 46 teams and 25 Universities in Beijing, with two more regional games planned to be held in Changsha and Yangtze River Delta. The finals are scheduled in June in Shanghai.
