• by Alex Weprin , March 8, 2018

YouTube TV, the over-the-top subscription streaming bundle offered by the video platform, has inked a new, expanded marketing deal with Major League Baseball.

According to the deal, YouTube TV will be the presenting sponsor for the 2018 and 2019 World Series, as well as sponsoring a season-long "first pitch" segment on MLB Network and MLB.tv. There will also be national TV ad spots, branding on MLB digital properties, in-stadium promotions and on-air callouts.

In addition, MLB Network will be added to the YouTube TV bundle of channels, and the MLB.tv subscription service will be available for subscribers to buy at an additional fee.

Financial terms were not disclosed. 

YouTube TV was the presenting sponsor for the 2017 World Series -- the first time the baseball championship featured an advertiser in that way.  The previous deal included YouTube TV branding throughout the series, six-second ads featuring players on both YouTube TV and on the regular platform, ads that incorporated live footage from the Series, and content produced by YouTube creators.

The campaign also sparked some controversy during the World Series, with a YouTube TV ad behind home plate giving the appearance of a YouTube “play” button near the center of many TV sets, mimicking the appearance of the site’s videos.

It also marked the biggest marketing push yet for YouTube TV, which launched in April 2017 to take on streaming bundles like Sling TV and DirecTV Now.