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MLB PLAYERS, INC.

MLB Players, Inc. is the for-profit corporate subsidiary of the Players Association.  It is charged with managing all commercial activities of the organization.  At the core of MLBPI’s business today, it brings to market products and services featuring the publicity rights (name/image/likeness) of our Players.  We grant these rights to our nearly 100 partners all over the world when more than two Players are used.  MLBPI negotiates agreements with companies to ensure Player-licensed products are part of the suite of baseball-related items fans want - when and where they want them.  Our scope of business extends to licensing, corporate sponsorship, equity ownership, media, advertising, promotional materials, sweepstakes, contests, and events.  For all the categories of products we cover, we engage our partners directly to feature and promote Players in efforts to boost sales.  As part of these efforts, we take significant steps to protect the positive image and reputation of each Player, using our resources to ensure we approve only those products or services that use Players in products of high quality, and are reflective of a positive Player “brand.”  Finally, our duties include the protection of Player rights, including in commercial legal claims.  This includes, in some instances, commencing lawsuits, or defending lawsuits when companies seek to limit Player opportunity.

Group Licensing

The MLBPA holds the exclusive, worldwide right to use, license and sublicense the names, numbers, nicknames, likenesses, signatures and other personal indicia (known as “publicity rights”) of active Major League Baseball players who are its members for use in connection with any product, brand, service or product line when more than two players are involved.

These rights include instances where the publicity rights of three or more players are featured on a single product (for example, a single poster featuring three or more players) or where three or more players are featured on individual products within a brand or product line (for example, three separate posters, each of which features only one player, offered in a given year). Also included are promotional uses in which players are utilized to promote the brand, products or services of a third party, including in connection with corporate sponsorship, advertising, promotional materials, sweepstakes, contests, premiums, events or other programs.

Primary product categories are baseball cards and collectibles, video games and digital products, apparel such as jerseys, caps and T-shirts as well as a wide assortment of novelty items. The licensing program also includes special events such as the Players Choice Awards (the only awards voted on strictly by the players, and the first of the post-season sports awards programs to be broadcast on television), the Players House, in addition to MLBPlayers.com, the Players Choice on the Web.

APPLY FOR A GROUP LICENSE

Please be sure you take the time necessary to fill out the licensing application in its entirety.  Once you have completed the application, email it to licenserequests@mlbpa.org, along with your Financial statement(s) and any other documents you feel will help us in consideration of granting your company an MLBPA License.  Thank you.

Please note that this does not purport to be a complete description of the group licensing program.   

For more information, please contact Players Inc. at licenserequests@mlbpa.org.

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