Spiderman 2 now on MLB bases

[Callaway]

I guess it was inevitable since MLB teams began selling stadium names to the highest bidder, but this is just lame. I'm sure this will really help them connect with a younger audience much more than lowering ticket prices so parents can AFFORD to take their kids to a MLB game...

Spider-Man is coming to a base near you. Ads for "Spider-Man 2" will be placed atop bases at major league ballparks during games from June 11-13 as part of a promotion announced Wednesday.

The move is the latest push by baseball to increase its marketing to younger fans ? and make money along the way.

"I guess it's inevitable, but it's sad," said Fay Vincent, a former baseball commissioner and former president of Columbia Pictures, which is releasing the movie. "I'm old-fashioned. I'm a romanticist. I think the bases should be protected from this."

The "Spider-Man" promotion has been in the works for more than a year and will include ad buys and ballpark events, such as giving masks to fans, said Jacqueline Parkes, baseball's senior vice president for marketing and advertising. The ads, about 4 inches long, won't appear on home plates.

The announcement of the promotion, first reported Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, comes a week after jockeys at the Kentucky Derby won the right to wear ads on their uniforms.

"Spider-Man" opens June 30, and the weekend in early June was picked because it is during interleague play, which draws higher attendance than usual.

"We need to reach out to a younger demographic to bring them to the ballpark," Parkes said. "They are looking for nontraditional breakthrough ways to convey 'Spider-Man' messaging. ... It's the future of how we generate excitement inside the stadium and about the game itself."

Baseball will receive about $3.6 million in a deal negotiated by Major League Baseball Properties with Marvel Studios and Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Inc., a high-ranking baseball executive said on condition of anonymity.

The New York Yankees (news) and Boston Red Sox (news) will get more than $100,000 each, one team executive said, also on condition of anonymity. Most other 13 teams that are home that weekend will get about $50,000 apiece, the executive said.

Parkes said the amount a team receives depends on the level of its participation. Geoffrey Ammer, president of marketing for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, was not immediately available for comment, spokesman Steve Elzer said.

Ralph Nader (news - web sites), a presidential candidate and consumer advocate, criticized the deal. He wrote Tuesday to baseball commissioner Bud Selig, denouncing the decision to have ads on uniforms during the season-opening series in March between the Yankees and Tampa Bay in Tokyo.

"It's gotten beyond grotesque," Nader said. "The fans have to revolt here. Otherwise, they'll be looking at advertisements between advertisements."

In separate promotions, the bases also will feature pink ribbons Sunday as part of a Mother's Day promotion to raise breast-cancer awareness, and they will have blue ribbons on Father's Day, June 20, to raise prostate-cancer awareness.

[CatnipOligarchy]

unbelievable. they cant seriously think fans will like this. ads on the walls, fine, ads on the programs, fine, ads on the scoreboard, fine. dont put that **** on the bases. pathetic how far they will go for a few extra $$$

[slyph]

uh yah thats pretty damn ricockulous

[Steffan]

Why? It doesn't make sense what so ever to have Spiderman 2 on the bases. Watch the movie will suck and the hype machine will exploded because of it.

also, why are the Yankees and Red Sox getting more?

[Veedems Veteran]

Wow, can they ###### it up anymore? Seriously, where is their pride man?

[Toxikk Veteran]

stuuuupid

[....]

Yet another reason why I am not liking baseball more and more.... :no: (N)

[blueshirt]

Too much promotional sh1t.

[tacheon]

ummm, how are people supposed to see these??

[Steffan]

ummm, how are people supposed to see these??

good question.

it looks like the Yankees will use the logos in "limited basis"

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1796247

[BroChaos Veteran]

yeah, i don't get how the fans are supposed to see them either. unless they are advertising to the baseball players....

what a dumb idea...

[Toxikk Veteran]

Yet another reason why I am not liking baseball more and more.... :no: (N)

yeah, atleast the nfl players decided to not allow ads on their jerseys.

[firen]

yeah, atleast the nfl players decided to not allow ads on their jerseys.

OH that would suck

[Joel]

ummm, how are people supposed to see these??

First thing I thought. I guess record numbers of baseball players will rush to theatres on opening day to see the movie. :p

[Steffan]

MLB decided to cancel Spiderman 2

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/sportsbusin...tory?id=1796765

[Toxikk Veteran]

yay. neowin made a difference!!!

[Veedems Veteran]

Thank god it was changed. There is still some dignity left after all.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Ump: Yrrr OUT!

Player: What, are you serious?

Ump: You didn't touch Tobey.

Player: Oh, I touched Tobey...

[CatnipOligarchy]

well i'll be darned.. MLB listened to the fans for once, i never thought i'd see the day

[imtoomuch]

I saw this on a different site. I guess it was only a matter of time. It sucks, but that's modern day sports for you.

[Ivand]

Finally, one big money machine listening to normal people..

[ChicoCahill]

now they aren't putting the logo on the bases during the game

[BroChaos Veteran]

heh, pretty crazy. fans actually come before money? thats unheard of...

[Chris Allen Veteran]

Another source;

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=...?partner=google

[bonobozoot]

Ump: Yrrr OUT!

Player: What, are you serious?

Ump: You didn't touch Tobey.

Player: Oh, I touched Tobey...

LMAO :rofl: but touch Tobey where?? :shifty: :laugh: