Major League Baseball Properties, General Mills Enter into Sponsorship

Major League Baseball Properties, General Mills Enter into Sponsorship Agreement

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    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2005--

Multi-Year Agreement Makes Wheaties the "Official Breakfast Cereal" of Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) and General Mills have reached a two-year sponsorship agreement that will make Wheaties, "The Breakfast of Champions," the "Official Breakfast Cereal" of Major League Baseball.
    As part of the agreement, which includes exclusive category rights, Wheaties will create a minimum of three national cereal boxes featuring Major League Baseball marks and logos during each year of the agreement. The boxes may feature current or former players. Wheaties also will launch a Major League Baseball-themed national advertising campaign during the 2005 season, the cereal brand's first new television advertising campaign in four years.
    "We are thrilled to welcome the 'Breakfast of Champions' to Major League Baseball as a national corporate sponsor," said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. "Major League Baseball and Wheaties are two premier brands with a rich tradition of collaboration that dates back more than 70 years, and this new partnership will engage a whole new generation of baseball fans and Wheaties consumers."
    "Major League Baseball helped make Wheaties a great American sports icon," said Eric Lucas, Vice President of Marketing for General Mills' Big G Cereals. "More than 70 years ago, we teamed up to feature Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx on packages of Wheaties. Now, once again, we're excited about the winning moments that our Wheaties - MLB partnership will bring."
    As part of the agreement, Wheaties will make significant media commitments to national Major League Baseball broadcasts and "This Week in Baseball" Presented by Pepsi, produced by Emmy(R) award-winning Major League Baseball Productions. Wheaties also will be an exhibiting sponsor at John Hancock All-Star FanFest, the interactive baseball themepark that opens Major League Baseball All-Star Week, and will be a title sponsor of one of the event's major attractions.
    Prior to this multi-year national sponsorship agreement, Major League Baseball Properties and Wheaties joined forces to create a special-edition package following the Boston Red Sox' historic victory in the 2004 World Series. The Wheaties box, which was released after Boston's World Series triumph, featured Red Sox slugger and ALCS MVP David Ortiz on the front cover.

    The National Pastime and "The Breakfast of Champions"

    Major League Baseball and Wheaties have always enjoyed close ties. In 1934, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig became the first athlete ever to appear on a Wheaties box. Wheaties also sponsored the first televised commercial sports broadcast on August 29, 1939, when NBC presented a Cincinnati Reds vs. Brooklyn Dodgers broadcast for some 500 television owners in New York City.
    Major League Baseball stars who have endorsed the cereal through the years include: Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, Joe Cronin, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Eddie Stanky, Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg, Stan Musial, Lou Boudreau, Phil Rizzuto, Jackie Robinson, Hal Newhouser, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Warren Spahn, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Joe Torre. In fact, 46 of the 51 players selected for the 1939 Major League Baseball All-Star Game endorsed Wheaties.
    Since 1934, dozens of Major League Baseball players have appeared on the fabled orange Wheaties box. New York Yankees All-Star shortstop Tom Tresh became the first baseball player to appear on the front of the package in 1964. Eight individual MLB teams have appeared on the front of Wheaties boxes, with the 1987 World Champion Minnesota Twins being the first team to earn that honor.

    About Major League Baseball Properties

    The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) in 1966 as the Club's agent for marketing and trademark licensing and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs, broadcast rightsholders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events. For more information about Major League Baseball, log on to www.MLB.com.

    About Wheaties

    Launched in 1924, Wheaties is the No. 1 whole-grain wheat flaked breakfast cereal in the country. The brand began its association with sports in the mid-1930s with a sign on the left field wall at Nicollet Park near downtown Minneapolis. General Mills' broadcast deal with the minor league Minneapolis Millers on WCCO Radio included the large signboard that Wheaties would use to introduce its new ad slogan: "Wheaties--The Breakfast of Champions." From that rather humble beginning, Wheaties has built a heritage that includes many of the greatest athletes of all time. Learn more at www.wheaties.com.

    THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS(R) AND WHEATIES(R) ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF GENERAL MILLS.

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CONTACT: Major League Baseball Kathleen Fineout or Carmine N. Tiso, 212-931-7878 or Wheaties Greg Zimprich, 763-764-7780

KEYWORD: NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ADVERTISING/MARKETING SPORTS FOODS/BEVERAGES RETAIL MARKETING AGREEMENTS PHOTO PHOTOWIRE SOURCE: Major League Baseball Properties PHOTO: 41278

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