Contact Information: CONTACT: Kristen Blankenship Crenshaw Communications Phone: 646-484-4596 E-mail: kristen@crenshawcomm.com www.crenshawcomm.com Chris Loncto Sharp Electronics Corporation Phone: 201-529-8680 E-mail: lonctoc@sharpsec.com
Sharp(R) Launches Major League Baseball(R) Portal to Provide Fans With Exclusive Sharp AQUOS(R) and MLB Content
Portal Gives Fans Unparalleled Access to Sharp MLB Players, Promotions and Events
| Source: Sharp
MAHWAH, NJ--(Marketwire - June 10, 2009) - Sharp, a worldwide leader in flat-panel Liquid
Crystal Televisions (LCD TVs) and the Official HDTV Sponsor of
Major League Baseball (MLB), today announced the launch of the Sharp
MLB online portal at www.sharpmlb.com, powered by MLB.com. Leveraging
Sharp's relationship with MLB Advanced Media, the portal grants fans
behind-the-scenes access to Sharp's lineup of MLB athletes, a schedule
of player appearances and retail promotions, information on Sharp's
high-definition AQUOS LCD TVs, and chances to win both Sharp AQUOS and MLB prizes through ongoing
sweepstakes and
trivia. The interactive site allows fans to become a part of the action,
from voting on player awards to following the personal blogs of Sharp's MLB
athletes, to learning about the cutting-edge features of Sharp AQUOS
LCD TVs that bring the game to life.
The web portal, created by Continuity, the digital arm of Sharp's
advertising agency, McGarry-Bowen, and MLB Advanced Media, is the home base
to a multi-tier marketing program that will house essential information for
Sharp AQUOS promotions activated during the 2009 season. Information
currently housed on the portal represents the first phase of the marketing
program, and the second phase, anchored by a national promotion, will be
launched during baseball's 2009 All-Star Game®.
"Our relationship with MLB and MLB Advanced Media allows us to provide fans
with opportunities and information that they can't find anywhere else, from
meeting their favorite player at retail appearances to giving them the
chance to throw out the first pitch," said Judah Zeigler, Associate Vice
President, Retail and Consumer Marketing, Sharp Electronics Corporation.
"Now, with the launch of SharpMLB.com, consumers can engage with our brand
and find this inside information at a one-stop digital location."
The portal will be frequently updated with new information, contests and
trivia, and will include the following key elements:
2009 Sharp MLB Team
In conjunction with the Major League Baseball Players Association, Sharp
will again team up with an all-star roster of MLB athletes to promote Sharp
AQUOS LCD TVs and enhance Sharp's MLB sponsorship through retail, consumer
promotions and events throughout the 2009 baseball season. In this section
of the portal, fans will have "insider access" to player information,
including personal blogs, biographies, trivia, photos and updates on
players' statistics throughout the season.
Sharp & MLB Near You
Not only will fans be able to interact with their favorite players online,
but the "Sharp & MLB Near You" section of the portal will serve as a
valuable resource for upcoming player appearances, retail promotions and
other Sharp-hosted MLB events across the country. Fans can check back often
for chances to win Sharp AQUOS LCD TVs, box seats, private tours of their
favorite stadiums and many more exclusive offers in their favorite baseball
city.
Sharp Presents the Player of the Month Award
Adding to the interactivity of the portal, visitors to the site will have
the chance to win their own Sharp AQUOS LCD TV by guessing the recipients
of the Sharp Presents the MLB Player of the Month
Award. Selected fans who guess correctly will receive a special gift
courtesy of Sharp. The Sharp Presents the Player of the Month Award honors
a player from the American and National leagues for each month of the
regular season. The honorees are chosen by a panel of sportswriters and
editors from across the country, and receive a plaque and 52-inch screen
size class Sharp AQUOS LCD TV.
Win a Sharp TV
Every visitor to the portal has the chance to win one of several prizes,
from a Sharp-branded cap to a large-screen AQUOS LCD TV, to a trip to the
2009 World Series. This section of the site is the go-to source for all of
the current on-line contests and promotions.
Sharp & MLB Alliance
For fans looking to learn about the history and natural affinity between
Sharp and MLB, this section explains how MLB chose Sharp as its official
HDTV sponsor. Sharp's AQUOS LCD TVs capture every detail of the game in
high-definition clarity, providing exceptional picture quality for fans
viewing the action from home. When MLB implemented instant replay in 2008,
Sharp's AQUOS LCDs were the HDTVs of choice for all of the MLB ballparks.
The MLB Advanced Media Control Center, the technological hub for the
instant replay reviews for all ballparks, is also outfitted exclusively
with Sharp AQUOS LCD TVs.
About AQUOS
Sharp's AQUOS line of LCD TVs offer an unbeatable combination of
outstanding picture quality, advanced environmental performance and stylish
designs that fit seamlessly into any décor. Available in a wide range of
screen size classes and models, there's a Sharp AQUOS LCD TV that meets
virtually any baseball lover's needs.
For more information on Sharp's full line of Liquid Crystal Televisions,
visit Sharp's Web site at www.sharpusa.com.
About Major League Baseball Properties
The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties
(MLBP) in 1966 as the Clubs' agent for marketing and trademark licensing
and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for
managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising
campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands
and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the
United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with
Clubs, broadcast rightsholders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a
full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball
Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and
manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all
other special events. For more information on Major League Baseball, log on
to www.MLB.com.
About MLB Advanced Media
Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major League
Baseball club owners to centralize all of Baseball's Internet operations,
MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) is the interactive media and internet company
of Major League Baseball. MLBAM manages the official league site, www.MLB.com, and each of the 30 individual
Club sites to create the most comprehensive Major League Baseball resource
on the Internet. MLB.com offers fans the most complete baseball information
and interactivity on the web, including up-to-date statistics, game
previews and summaries, extensive historical information, online ticket
sales, baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles,
fantasy games, live full-game video webcasts and on-demand highlights, live
and archived audio broadcasts of every game, Gameday pitch-by-pitch
application, around-the-clock hosted and specialty video programming and
complete blogging capabilities. MLB.com offers more live events on the
Internet than any other website in the world.
About the Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com) is the collective
bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the
thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group
licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active
Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the
Players Choice licensing program and Players Choice Awards, which benefit
the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable
foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players.
Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp
Corporation, a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home entertainment
products, appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, solar
energy solutions and mobile communication and information tools. Leading
brands include AQUOS® Liquid Crystal Televisions, 1-Bit™ digital audio
products, SharpVision® projection products, Insight® Microwave
Drawer® appliances, Plasmacluster® air purifiers, and Notevision®
multimedia projectors. For more information visit Sharp Electronics
Corporation at www.sharpusa.com
AQUOS is a registered trademark of Sharp Corporation.