Ford & Webull Score MLB Deals: Rays Complete Jersey Patch Roster – Sportcal

Ahead of the start of the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, a number of the competition’s franchises, and indeed the league itself, are securing new commercial agreements. Ford has become the latest official partner of Major League Baseball on an ‘exclusive’ basis.

The multi-year partnership designates Ford as MLB’s official automotive partner, with the brand maintaining an in-stadium branding presence throughout the season, including at major events such as the opening-day game, All-Star week, the Field of Dreams Game, and the World Series. The collaboration will also feature co-branded competitions and experiences, with Ford serving as the presenting sponsor of MLB’s ‘July 4th’ 2026 promotional campaign.

The agreement extends beyond the major league level, encompassing Minor League Baseball professional competitions, and youth-category Little League Baseball and Softball, including the annual Little League World Series. Uzma Rawn Dowler, MLB chief marketing officer, commented: “Ford and MLB are both American heritage brands that continue to innovate in their industries and strengthen their popularity and relevance decade after decade. We love the creative marketing energy that Ford plans to bring to MLB, while the national scale of our content is sure to drive even greater consideration and fan engagement for our new partner.”

Meanwhile, at the franchise level, the Tampa Bay Rays have finally secured a jersey patch partner in the form of financial services and online trading company Webull. Based locally in St. Petersburg, Florida, Webull will take up the primary sleeve sponsorship branding area on all Rays jerseys throughout the 2026 campaign.

Webull first partnered with the Rays at the beginning of the 2025 season, when the team was forced to play games at a temporary venue, Steinbrenner Field, following damage to Tropicana Field. With the team now back in its home stadium, Webull has expanded the partnership to jersey patch partner status. This deal completes MLB’s jersey patch roster, as the Tampa Bay Rays were the last remaining team without a jersey patch partner.

The Rays reached the post-season in 2023 as a wild-card, and reached the World Series as recently as 2020, falling to the LA Dodgers in six games. The team will hope to build on that recent success with the added financial backing and visibility provided by the Webull partnership.

The Baltimore Orioles, divisional rivals of the Rays in the American League East, have also added a new commercial partner to their portfolio – PureWager Group. As the exclusive sports betting partner of the team, PureWager Group will have branding presence across the team’s 45,000-capacity Camden Yards ballpark, including as the title sponsor of the new ‘PureWager Pavilion’ events space beneath the venue’s scoreboard.

The pavilion was constructed in 2025 as part of ongoing upgrades to Camden Yards. PureWager is seeking to leverage this partnership as part of its recent entry into the US betting market, with group chief executive Elliot Banks stating: “Our goal is to enhance the fan experience responsibly, using our technology and operational expertise to create engaging, community-first entertainment that complements the game we all love.” After a strong offseason, the Orioles are considered strong contenders to return to the post-season for the first time since 2024.

Elsewhere in MLB, the Atlanta Braves franchise has continued its recent trend of long-term partnership extensions, tying up Equifax for a new eight-season term. The consumer credit reporting firm has been a sponsor of the Braves since 2011, and that agreement will now continue through the 2033 season.

Equifax will retain its prominent branding presence on the left wall at the 41,108-seater Truist Park stadium. This month, the Braves have extended pest control company Arrow Exterminators through 2036, and airline partner Delta through 2035, with this new Equifax agreement highlighting the franchise’s strategy of securing deals with a long-term view. The Braves have won the World Series four times, most recently in 2021, and claimed the National League East Division title each year between 2018 and 2023, securing a wild card playoff berth in 2024 before missing out on the postseason entirely last season. The team’s consistent success and strong fan base clearly make it an attractive partner for major corporations.