Under Armour, Major League Baseball Announce Partnership

BALTIMORE, MD — Under Armour has officially made it to the big leagues. Starting in 2020, the Baltimore-based athletic wear company will outfit the 30 Major League Baseball teams.

"Under Armour is proud of our long-standing relationship with MLB and we look forward to this exciting next chapter," Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour, said in a statement released Monday. He called the partnership a "watershed moment for the Under Armour brand."

Under Armour has outfitted individual athletes, teams and parts of uniforms but had not secured a deal with an entire league. Since 2011, Under Armour has held the footwear licensing for MLB.

According to a new 10-year partnership, Under Armour will produce jerseys featuring prominent Under Armour branding, base layers, game-day outerwear and year-round training apparel for all 30 MLB clubs. In addition, it will introduce new fan gear apparel and accessories.

Under Armour was the "perfect fit to showcase our players and provide an even stronger connection between our game and its young fans and players," MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. said in a statement.

Majestic has been the league's uniform provider since 2005, but its contract expires in 2019.

Per the new contract, Under Armour will design the uniforms, while e-commerce giant Fanatics will handle manufacturing and distribution.

"Both Fanatics and Under Armour get to do what each does best...to help grow the game of baseball through a pioneering new business model better suited to today's digital economy," Michael Rubin, executive chairman of Fanatics, said in a statement.

Through the MLB deal, Under Armour stands to benefit substantially. Majestic's original contract was estimated to be worth $500 million, according to Forbes.

Headquartered near Locust Point, Under Armour has posted earnings of nearly $4 billion in 2015.

Plank started the company in 1996 out of his Georgetown basement at age 23 and is now among Maryland's elite echelon of billionaires.

See Also:

• Under Armour Strikes Deal with Major League Baseball: Report
• Under Armour to Bring 1,000 Jobs to Sparrows Point
• Michael Phelps Stars in Under Armour Ad
• Baltimore's Under Armour Makes List of 'Top Attractors' for Job-Seekers

Image courtesy of PR Newswire/Under Armour.