MLB Expands TikTok Deal as #MLB Posts Surge 60% in 2025

Major League Baseball (MLB) is making sure that the next generation of fandom lives on the second screen.

As players report to Spring Training, MLB and TikTok have expanded their multiyear global content partnership.

This hopes to bring fans closer to the game through exclusive content, creator access, and new player-driven storytelling.

The move formalizes what has already been building on the platform.

According to the league, posts using #MLB grew nearly 60% in 2025, and MLB now counts more than 10.7 million followers across its global accounts.

The growth is not limited to the U.S., either.

During the 2025 World Series, MLB’s international TikTok accounts saw views surge 426% in Japan and 710% in Korea year over year.

For a league focused on international expansion, you just can't ignore those numbers.

“The expansion of our TikTok partnership will showcase even more great baseball content to audiences of all ages on its popular platform,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB Executive VP of Media and Business Development, in an MLB press release.

“As a wide-reaching global platform, TikTok provides a valuable opportunity to further build the increasing worldwide excitement surrounding MLB and its diverse group of international superstars.”

A key part of the strategy is TikTok GamePlan, the platform’s sports-focused product suite designed to drive discovery and measurable business results.

Through it, MLB will scale localized content across accounts, such as @mlbespanol, @mlbeurope, @mlbjapan, @mlb_korea, and @mlbmexico, strengthening the league’s global footprint.

"Baseball culture is exploding on TikTok, and this partnership reflects our shared commitment to meeting fans where they are and growing the game globally," said Rollo Goldstaub, TikTok's Global Head of Sport.

"TikTok GamePlan gives MLB the tools to turn fandom into measurable business results."

Inside MLB’s Player-Driven Content Engine

The expansion is more than just publishing highlights.

This Spring Training, TikTok hosted an exclusive lounge inside the MLB Player House in Arizona, a custom-built space where players gather during early workouts.

Notably, a sports creator led activities and worked directly with players to co-create content designed for the platform.

The TikTok Lounge will also appear at the upcoming MLB Player House in Miami, all in an effort to give athletes the tools and space to tell their own stories and grow personal followings.

For MLB, that creates a distributed content engine powered by players themselves.

Select creators will also receive access to MLB’s current and archival footage, allowing them to reinterpret historic and present-day moments in ways that feel native to TikTok.

Throughout the season, the league will publish post-game highlights, long-form series recaps, and weekly roundups.

Fans searching "MLB" can access a dedicated in-app Hub powered by GamePlan, featuring live updates, behind-the-scenes clips, and creator perspectives.

Why now, one may ask? 

Well, 85% of fans use TikTok as a second-screen experience during live events, according to the platform.

That's what makes this brand partnership so timely, as it hopes to fuel habit formation.

Lessons From MLB’s TikTok Expansion

For sports marketers, MLB’s move is a textbook case of how to turn passive viewership into social media engagement.

Here, we learn: 

• Platform-native storytelling helps athletes build personal equity while strengthening league-wide audience loyalty.
• Giving creators access to archival content can bring about fresh narratives without the cost of new production.
• Owning the second screen can give more value and shelf life to live events, sustaining excitement while building hype for the next event. 

If MLB can sustain weekly momentum and empower players to create regularly, this expansion could shift how baseball is consumed globally.

According to a Business of MLB report last year, the league boasted a total of 48 active sponsors, worth more than $804 million annually. 

These figures really highlight the scale of its partnerships. 

Our Take: Can Baseball Win the Scroll?

Baseball dominating user activity is already happening. MLB just decided to double down on the hype it was already getting. 

What the league and TikTok are building here feels like an open door into a room.

If I were advising a legacy league trying to stay relevant, I’d focus less on polished broadcast spots and more on giving athletes the mic. 

That's the kind of content sports fans want to see, and MLB is clearly leaning into that. 

However, oversaturation is still a risk. If the content feels forced, and if players are made to do content that's clearly for the clicks and outside their comfort zone, fans will scroll without a second thought.

But if MLB can keep it raw, fast, and player-led, this could be the rare sports-media push that actually changes behavior.

In other news, BODYARMOR recently returned to March Madness with exclusive on-court rights, bumping visibility during live broadcasts.