Major League Baseball and Globalization: The World Baseball Classic

In addition to generating initial profits, the WBC has positioned MLB to be the leader in growing the game of baseball and the commercial aspects of the sport throughout the world. As baseball grows, and more importantly as the American brand of baseball grows, it will be interesting to watch the worldwide reaction – particularly if MLB begins to generate huge profits overseas. Other prominent American brands such as Coke, Nike, Disney, and McDonalds have been both embraced and scorned as they have ventured beyond the fifty U.S. states. MLB will have unique challenges, but also tremendous opportunities as they attempt to expand their potential marketplace from 330 million consumers to the entire world. Ultimately, the long-term impact of the initial World Baseball Classic will not be known for many years, but it appears that the initial tournament met, and in some cases, exceeded expectations