On the heels of the highest attendance numbers since before the Covid-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball is partnering up with the biggest media franchsie of all time in an effort to get younger fans more engaged.
According to an official announcement from the MLB, Pokémon GO will be coming to every major league stadium in 2025.
MLB meets Pokémon GO ⚡️
— MLB (@MLB) February 12, 2025
All MLB ballparks will feature official club-branded PokéStops and Gyms so Trainers can play Pokémon GO from wherever they’re sitting in the ballpark
Trainers will also be able to check out newly-created Official Routes at the ballparks pic.twitter.com/HvLTYnSK7i
As MLB explained in its official press release: "Over the next three seasons, MLB and Niantic, the makers of Pokémon GO, will partner to make Major League ballparks a unique part of the augmented-reality mobile game, which lets players catch Pokémon in real-world locations. Pokémon GO is the world's biggest location-based mobile game."
Players of the renowned mobile game will be able to enjoy team-exclusive features at each ballpark over the next three seasons, beginning on Opening Day 2025 (March 27, 2025).
Pokémon GO partnership is latest attempt by MLB to drive up attendance numbers
Go ahead, get your jokes out now.
Is baseball nearly a decade late to this trend? Probably, but what else is new for this sport?
However, the Pokémon GO summer craze occurred during the game's launch in 2016. Do you know what else happened in 2016? THE CHICAGO CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES.
They say time is a flat circle. I am all for history repeating itself.
THE @Cubs WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!! #OpeningDayAtHome pic.twitter.com/1mh9dsb3Tb
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2020
In all seriousness, this promotion should offer fans of both franchises plenty of incentive to play the mobile game while at ballparks this year.
And, as an added feature of this exclusive partnership, there will be "Pokémon GO Theme Nights" at most ballparks around the league throughout the 2025 season. Attending fans at these games will get a Pokémon GO and MLB team-branded T-shirt, as well as some in-game bonuses and perks, including special Timed Research missions and exclusive Raid Battles.
A full list of Pokémon GO Theme Nights and the participating teams can be found on the official Pokémon GO website.
It also wouldn't be a surprise to eventually see the mobile app form a partnership with the NPB, Japan's highest-level professional baseball league, given the popularity of both baseball and Pokémon in the country.
We'll see if this news encourages fans to [Pokémon] GO to more games this year.