MLB Touts Playoffs in July

NEW YORK Major League Baseball for the first time will launch its postseason marketing campaign in July, during the national broadcast of the All-Star Game on Fox on July 10. It is the earliest MLB has ever launched its postseason campaign promoting its playoff and World Series telecasts.

The “There’s only one October” campaign features actor/comedian Dane Cook, and it will highlight some of MLB’s most memorable postseason moments, as well as showcasing current team players.

MLB spent more than $40 million last year in measured media, per TNS Media Intelligence.

The TV spots will run on both Fox and TBS, the latter of which will begin televising postseason games for the first time this season. Spots will also run on ESPN, CNN, FX and TNT. Print ads will run in Sports Illustrated and USA Today. Radio spots will also air in select major markets, including on XM Satellite Radio and on ESPN Radio.

“The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is the premier television sporting event of the summer,” said Tim Brosnan, evp, business, MLB. “The start of our ‘There’s only one October’ campaign leverages this huge All-Star week audience and points them to our playoff month.”

The campaign will also be supported though numerous MLB platforms, including the launch of actober.com, the first user-generated content Web site produced by a major professional sports league. Fans will be able to access a large archive of MLB footage, and they can utilize vintage footage to create their own “actober” moments and win tickets to the 2007 World Series.

The TV spots were created by IPG’s McCann Erickson, in conjunction with MLB Productions.