F&M: The MLB Pitch Clock Provides a New Opportunity for This Group

With the first week of Spring Training behind us, Major League Baseball had a new development that will thrill fans: shorter game times.?

That’s right, thanks to the new pitch clock, game times were slashed by an average of nearly 30 minutes.?

While it’s a small sample size, Spring Training games finished with game times around two hours and thirty minutes!?

In case you haven’t heard about the pitch clock and rule changes, the two main ones go like this:

Pitch clock: pitchers now have just 15 seconds to throw the next pitch once they have received the ball from the catcher with no runners on. The clock extends to 20 seconds if there are runners on base. If the pitcher doesn’t deliver the ball on time, it is an automatic ball. If the batter isn’t ready and set for a pitch to be delivered on time, it’s an automatic strike.?

New bases: Bases have expanded from 15 inches on each side to 18 inches. This change was made after being studied in the minor leagues, revealing a 13.5% decrease in injuries on the basepaths.?

Now, you’re wondering how this provides a new opportunity for advertisers??

I’m glad you asked.?

Why the MLB offers a new opportunity for advertisers

As I wrote last month, MLB is actually an industry leader in marketing opportunities and year over year return.

Baseball is a growing market for advertisers around the country, but with reduced game times, some brands and their agencies could be scrambling to find which media buys make the most sense.?

Some might say that quicker game times lead to fewer ad spots and chances to put their brand in front of an audience.?

We have a different perspective.?

What if shorter game times increase the audience’s retention and engagement with the game??

What if, instead of tuning out the 90 seconds of ads in between innings, viewers are more likely to stay off their phone thanks to a more rapid pace of play?

What if brands capitalize on that increased engagement and drive even better results towards their product or service?

What if the game, on and off the field, has changed for the better?

Tip of the week: Product in action > product features

With mere seconds to make an impression with your audience, rewrite your copy to describe the action and benefits of your product. Telling your customers what they will experience always trumps a list of product features.?

You can't have enough video content in your content calendar! ??

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