Whether it’s video games, rap battles or twitter beefs, rivalry is a huge part of millennial’s lives. Baseball is built on centuries’ old rivalries that still divide today. Introducing Battlegrounds, our strategic idea that underpinned an unmissable experience where baseball’s historic rivalries were reimagined for a new audience.

To celebrate the London Series, we created a fan festival, London Yards, at Truman Brewery where there were a number of activations. The world’s first indoor Home Run Derby was live streamed on Twitter. We had performances from UK grime artists such as Lady Leshurr. The Spin Cycle baseball game, the VR batting cages - all of this allowed a new generation of fans to experience the game. Oh, and we had great food inspired by the culinary heritage of Boston and New York.

We opened baseball up to a whole new generation in a brand new continent. The events transformed the way millennials think about baseball and 90% said they would recommend it to their friends.

With the Battleground experience an audience that was 80% under 34, MLB has disproved the myth that baseball is an old folk’s sport. The levels of eyeballs reached on Twitter Live – over 1 million have increased the brand’s fame in a completely new European market. By hitting baseball into the present, they’re ready to expand even further in the future.