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| [January 08, 2013] |
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T-Mobile and Major League Baseball Announce Multi-Year Technology and Marketing Agreement
LAS VEGAS --(Business Wire)--
T-Mobile (News - Alert) USA, Inc. and Major League Baseball (MLB) announced today at
the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show that T-Mobile is now
the Official Wireless Sponsor of MLB (News - Alert). As part of the multi-year,
multimillion-dollar partnership, T-Mobile will work with MLB and its
industry-leading digital media and technology company, MLB Advanced
Media L.P. (MLBAM), to enhance America's national pastime on and off the
field with game-changing wireless capabilities. This marks the first
time in more than a decade that MLB has partnered with a major wireless
provider.
Under the agreement, T-Mobile will provide MLB with a new On-Field
Communication System, powered by T-Mobile's powerful nationwide 4G
network technology. The first use of this technology will be in a
wireless voice system connecting managers in select Major League dugouts
to coaches in bullpens. This dugout-to-bullpen system will start to roll
out in 2013 and the new On-Field Communication System solution will
offer greater mobility as well as options for future innovation within
the game.
"We look forward to working with Major League Baseball and are excited
they have chosen T-Mobile's technology to power a new, in-game
communication system at ballparks across the country," said Mike
Sievert, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. "Unlike a typical
sponsorship, we're approaching this partnership as a collaboration in
which T-Mobile, MLB and MLBAM will work together to evolve the game with
exciting new technology innovation, enhancing the experience for
customers and fans."
"T-Mobile has made a significant commitment to Major League Baseball
across our game and business, and its innovative drive and expertise in
wireless technology will be an outstanding addition to the baseball
industry," said Tim Brosnan, MLB executive vice president, business.
"T-Mobile has been an impact player in the wireless industry, and we
look forward to its innovative spirit positively influencing the game
and the way fans enjoy it."
In collaboration with MLBAM, T-Mobile also will tap the power of its
nationwide 4G network, currently available in 229 metro areas, reaching
more than 220 million people, to further enhance and broaden network
coverage and connectivity for fans in MLB ballparks. This past season,
MLB recorded its fifth-best attendance year in its long and storied
history by attracting more than 74.8 million fans to regular-season
games.
In addition, MLBAM, which develops, deploys and distributes the
top-ranked sports mobile application of all-time - MLB.com At Bat - will
work with T-Mobile to enrich the digital experience on T-Mobile's
smartphones and tablets; create custom, compelling content exclusively
for its customers; and develop promotional opportunities and unique
offers for MLB.com content.
"Baseball is America's No. 1 digitally consumed sport, and today's
baseball fan is technologically savvy and data hungry, which makes this
partnership a great opportunity for not only baseball enthusiasts, but
also millions of T-Mobile customers," Sievert said.
"The underpinning of a partnership with a key provider such as T-Mobile
mirrors baseball's long-held belief in leveraging and implementing
wireless technology to deliver first-rate products and services to the
industry and our fans," said Bob Bowman, president and CEO, MLBAM.
"T-Mobile will play an important role as we continue that focus on
bringing top-notch content, connectivity and customizable eperiences to
consumers wherever they are."
The T-Mobile investment in baseball is a comprehensive, multifaceted
marketing approach that will include partnerships with national
broadcast partners FOX, Turner, MLB Network, and ESPN (News - Alert). T-Mobile will be
the presenting sponsor of ESPN's Wednesday Night Baseball, including
on-air, digital and mobile sponsorship initiatives, in addition to
features on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. T-Mobile and MLB also will develop
marquee media opportunities and marketing extensions at events
throughout the year, as well as local sponsorships with select MLB
Clubs. Currently, T-Mobile is a sponsor of the Pittsburgh Pirates and
the Seattle Mariners.
For additional visuals, visit T-Mobile's press room at http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/press-kits.
For more information about T-Mobile's products and services, visit www.t-mobile.com.
Follow MLB Public Relations on Twitter (News - Alert) at twitter.com/MLB_PR.
About Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the oldest professional sports league in
the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and
Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Under
the guidance of its ninth Commissioner, Allan H. (Bud) Selig, MLB has
experienced dramatic changes including Interleague Play, the
introduction of the Wild Cards, the new expanded Postseason format in
2012, the most comprehensive drug-testing program in U.S. professional
sports, an unprecedented era of labor peace, significant revenue sharing
among the clubs and growth in revenue from $1.2 billion in 1992 to more
than $7.5 billion in 2012. The last nine years have produced the nine
best-attended individual seasons in MLB history, including nearly 75
million in 2012, the fifth-highest ever. With the continued success of
MLB Network, MLB Advanced Media and the MLB Fan Cave, MLB continues to
find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy the National Pastime. For
more information on Major League Baseball, visit www.MLB.com.
About MLB Advanced Media
Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major
League Baseball club owners to centralize all of Baseball's Internet
operations, MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) is the interactive media and
Internet company of Major League Baseball. MLBAM manages the official
league site, www.MLB.com,
and each of the 30 individual Club sites to create the most
comprehensive Major League Baseball resource on the Internet. MLB.com
offers fans the most complete baseball information and interactivity on
the web, including up-to-date statistics, game previews and summaries,
extensive historical information, online ticket sales, baseball
merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles, fantasy games,
live full-game video streaming and in-progress and on-demand highlights,
live and archived audio broadcasts of every game, Gameday pitch-by-pitch
application, around-the-clock hosted and specialty video programming,
complete blogging capabilities and the award-winning suite of At Bat
mobile applications. MLBAM powers more live events on the Internet than
any other website in the world.
About T-Mobile USA:
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless
operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (News - Alert) (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the third
quarter of 2012, approximately 131 million mobile customers were served
by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group -
33.3 million by T-Mobile USA - all via a common technology platform
based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA's
innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect
to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue
to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout
the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more
information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com.
T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For
further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The
statements in this news release regarding the business outlook, expected
performance and forward-looking guidance, as well as other statements
that are not historical facts, are forward looking statements. The words
"estimate," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "believe,"
"target," "providing guidance" and similar expressions are intended to
identify forward looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are estimates and projections reflecting
management's judgment based on currently available information and
involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking
statements. With respect to these forward-looking statements, management
has made assumptions regarding, among other things, customer and network
usage, customer growth and retention, pricing, operating costs, the
timing of various events and the economic and regulatory environment.

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