Spider-Man will be in Major League Baseball’s lineup the weekend of June 11-13, but he won’t be stealing any bases. MLB Properties and Columbia Pictures have agreed to remove the Spider-Man 2 logo from the in-field bases that will be used during Spider-Man 2 Weekend.
Though the bases were a small part of the program, Bob DuPuy, president and COO of MLB, said that portion of the promotion was abandoned due to negative reception from the fans and media. He said MLB does not want to detract from the fan’s experience in any way, but added that MLB will continue to “pursue new and innovative ways” to market the game and engage baseball fans.
“As stated when this partnership was announced, we think this is a terrific promotion for Major League Baseball and Columbia Pictures and a great opportunity to reach out to children and families,” said DuPuy in a written statement.
In an ESPN.com SportsNation poll, 79.4 % of almost 45,000 readers said they disapproved of the on-field Spider-Man 2 advertisements.
“We don’t want to do anything that takes away from a fan’s enjoyment of the game,” said Geoffrey Ammer, president of worldwide marketing for the Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, in a statement.
According to published reports, the deal between the studio and the league, even without the 6-inch by 6-inch logo on the bases, is worth $2.5 million.
During Spider-Man 2 Weekend, ballparks will feature in-park signage and each host team will feature special Spider-Man 2 promotional give-aways. In addition, highlights from Spider-Man 2 will run on stadium video boards to promote the motion picture’s June 30 release.
Major League Baseball Clubs hosting Spider-Man 2 Weekend are the Anaheim Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.
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