MLB pairs with apparel company, to use helmet ad for playoffs

Major League Baseball teams will have advertising on their helmets during the postseason.

MLB said Friday that it reached a deal for the postseason ads through 2027 with Strauss, a German apparel company that entered the U.S. market last year.

Ads of 5-by-0.92 inches will be on each side of every helmet featuring "STRAUSS" in capital letters in white alongside the company's ostrich logo silhouetted by a red square, with an alternate color for red helmets.

Strauss also will appear on the helmets of the 120 affiliated minor league teams from 2025 to 2027.

MLB previously had helmet ads in select international games dating to at least 2000 and has allowed jersey ads since 2023. The general use of ads was agreed to by the players' association in the 2022 labor contract, and 23 of the 30 teams have jersey patch ads.

Financial terms were not announced.

In addition, Strauss will present a digital content platform focused on stolen bases, showcasing highlights of steals on MLB platforms.

Major League Soccer became the first of the major North American leagues to allow jersey ads in 2007. The NBA started selling sponsorship logos for the 2017-18 season, and the NHL launched helmet ads for the 2020-21 season and began jersey advertising the following season.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.