• by Tanya Gazdik , 4 hours ago

Ford Motor Co. and Major League Baseball are kicking off a multiyear deal uniting two powerful and steadfast American icons. 

The deal makes Ford the exclusive automotive partner of MLB and will put the automaker at the center of the sport’s season-long cultural moments, including Opening Day, All-Star Week, Field of Dreams, July 4th, and the World Series. 

The partnership includes rights across Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball and Softball, including the Little League World Series.

Ford is displacing Chevrolet, MLB’s automotive sponsor since 2005, according to Sports Business Journal. 

The alliance kicks off with a 30-second spot from Wieden + Kennedy, debuting today.

For Ford and MLB, the collaboration is rooted in shared values.

“For generations, baseball has brought families and communities together and so has Ford,” said Lisa Materazzo, Ford’s global chief marketing officer, in a statement. “This partnership is about honoring tradition while putting real capability behind the moments that matter for fans, players, and for the communities that keep the game, and the country, moving forward.”

For Ford, it isn’t just about reach, it’s also about relevance, according to the automaker. Ford will show up not only in the broadcast moments fans expect, but in human ones like celebrating the workers who make the game possible, the fields where kids fall in love with it and the families who pass it down generation to generation.

From a sweepstakes tied to the All-Star Game and World Series to a new presenting sponsorship of MLB’s July 4th initiative, Ford aims to position itself not just as a sponsor, but as a participant in the baseball journey.

By securing rights at the grassroots level, through Minor League Baseball and Little League International, Ford is providing grant funding to Little Leagues in the areas where Ford operates — from Kansas City, Mo., to Buffalo to Detroit — to expand access to youth sports clinics, essential gear, equipment, uniforms and other unique needs of the Little League communities. This builds on Ford Dealers’ legacy of supporting Little Leagues in their local community.

To kick it off, Ford and Major League Baseball are inviting fans to step up to the plate with the Drive Them Home Sweepstakes. Entrants can win tickets to the AllStar Game presented by Mastercard, along with a chance to drive home a 2026 F150 Lariat, a 2026 Expedition Platinum SUV, or a 2026 Bronco Badlands SUV. 

Ford and MLB are both American heritage brands that continue to innovate in their industries and strengthen their popularity and relevance decade after decade, says Uzma Rawn Dowler, MLB chief marketing officer and senior vice president, global corporate partnerships. 

“We love the creative marketing energy that Ford plans to bring to MLB, while the national scale of our content is sure to drive even greater consideration and fan engagement for our new partner,” Dowler says in a statement. “And the timing of this new relationship is perfect as we all plan to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America.”

Entering the 2026 season, Ford has active partnerships with 10 MLB Clubs: Athletics, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.