On today's episode, I'm joined by Ben Ladkin, Managing Director of MLB Europe.
Although now representing a major American sports league, Ben's journey in sport began at Arsenal, where he spent 11 years, eventually leading the media group and building their digital and social media presence during the dot com era.
Now at Major League Baseball (MLB), he operates across three key pillars: content, events, and participation. While the content pillar aligns closely with his past experience, he has embraced the new challenges of organising major events like the London Series (which took place earlier this month) as well as fostering baseball participation in Europe.
This has required tapping into popular U.S. sports already capturing mind-share in Europe, finding alignment with popular global sports such as cricket, and tapping into culture and the wider export of Americana.
Timestamps
2:00 - Ben’s Journey
6:00 - How London Differs from other MLB International Markets
8:00 - Tapping into Cricket Fandom
12:00 - Incorporating Education into Content
14:00 - Strategy and Ambitions Across the Wider European Market
17:00 - Tapping in to Merchandise and Music
24:00 - Who Gets to Play in the London Series?
25:00 - Special Edition Merch
28:00 - Ballpark Food and Exporting Americana
31:00 - Future Plans and 365 Engagement Strategies
Additional Links
Can Cricket SUPERSTAR Harry Brook learn how to hit a baseball in just 1 day?!
Jos Buttler swaps cricket for baseball to advertise the World Tour in London
Rob McElhenney brought baseball to a Wrexham match
Official MLB MLB London Series x Titi Collection
Connect with Ben on LinkedIn - Here
Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here
