State Farm becomes official sponsor of HR Derby

Major
League Baseball Properties (MLBP) announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement
to make State Farm the “Official Insurance Company of Major League
Baseball”. The deal includes exclusive category rights and title
sponsorships for the State Farm Home Run Derby and the State Farm Mascot Home
Run Derby at Major League Baseball All-Star Week.

The State
Farm Home Run Derby competition is the highest rated sporting event of the
summer on ESPN. The competition pits eight Major League Baseball sluggers
against each other in three head-to-head elimination rounds in which each
batter receives 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible. Any swing of the
bat that does not result in a home run is considered an out. The 2007 State
Farm Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN
Radio on Monday, July 9 at 8 p.m. EDT from
San Francisco’s

AT&T
Park.

A Gold
Ball platform will be included in the State Farm Home Run Derby competition.
For every home run that State Farm Home Run Derby participants hit during the
competition after their ninth out, Major League Baseball and State Farm will
combine to donate $17,000 to charity. The $17,000 represents the 17,000 State
Farm agents in neighborhoods across the
U.S.
and

Canada.
Proceeds from the Gold Ball platform will benefit the official charity of Major
League Baseball, Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

“We
are very pleased to partner with such a well-respected brand as State Farm and
welcome them as the title sponsor of the Home Run Derby,” said Tim
Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. “The
Home Run Derby is one of the most recognizable and exciting event properties
during the Major League Baseball season, and it is fitting that a brand of
State Farm’s stature will now become linked with it.”

“Baseball
is one of the greatest sports in the world and we are proud to be the official
insurance sponsor of MLB,” said Mark Gibson, Assistant Vice President,
Advertising for State Farm. “MLB and its properties are a natural choice
for State Farm, the nation’s number one auto insurer, and together we will
reach a growing audience in new and exciting ways.”

As a
participating sponsor at DHL All-Star FanFest, the interactive baseball theme
park that is the cornerstone of Major League Baseball All-Star Week, State Farm
will sponsor the State Farm Home Run Derby attraction and the State Farm Mascot
Home Run Derby.

As part of
the agreement, State Farm will make significant media commitments to national
Major League Baseball television rightsholders. State Farm also continues to
maintain partnerships with 24 Major League Clubs: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta
Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians,
Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los
Angeles of Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota
Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia
Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Tampa
Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.