Minor League Baseball Grows Copa de la Diversión in 2020

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today announced the continued long-term commitment to and celebration of its U.S. Hispanic fans and communities through the unveiling of its 2020 Copa de la Diversión™ (Fun Cup™) campaign and event series. Each of the 92 participating MiLB teams covering 34 U.S. states will transform its on-field brand to a culturally-relevant Hispanic persona, representing an extension of the team's and community's identity. Fans are encouraged to join Minor League Baseball's ongoing celebration of its U.S. Hispanic communities by using #JoinLaDiversión on social media.

MiLB's Copa-specific website features each team's unique identity, including the story behind its Hispanic on-field persona, and links for fans to purchase available apparel for select Copa de la Diversión ("Copa") teams. Similar to years past, the 2020 participating teams will release their official on-field looks in March 2020 as the second part of the unveiling when on-field merchandise will be available for purchase on MiLB team store sites.

The cornerstone of MiLB's Es Divertido Ser Un Fan™ (It's Fun to be A Fan™) Hispanic fan engagement initiative, Copa de la Diversión established an innovative new platform authentically connecting MiLB teams with their diverse communities, embracing the culture and values that resonate most with U.S. Hispanics nationwide.

"Copa de la Diversión began as a fan and community-first initiative and remains as such," said Cory Bernstine, director, marketing and business strategy for Minor League Baseball. "The initiative has become the blueprint for authentic and intentional fan engagement and its growth and success continue to infuse the Hispanic culture into the MiLB experience."

The fourth year of celebrating Es Divertido Ser Un Fan, 2020 marks the third year of the Copa de la Diversión initiative, cementing MiLB's commitment to U.S. Hispanic communities nationwide. The campaign had massive success in 2019, paving the way for the 2020 program, including:

• 1.8 million fans attending nearly 400 Copa de la Diversión games
• MiLB teams partnering with more than 200 local Hispanic/Latino organizations, donating more than $400,000 in cash and gifts-in-kind to local Hispanic philanthropies
• Nearly 20% higher average attendance per Copa game vs. the average per game attendance

Since launching Es Divertido Ser Un Fan in 2017, Minor League Baseball has continued to reinforce its position as a leader in creativity, innovation and community engagement with its intentional and authentic strategy to engage its U.S. Hispanic fans. In 2018, Copa de la Diversión was introduced with 33 teams and grew to 72 teams in 2019. The 2020 campaign adds 22 new teams and identities to MiLB's "comunidades" of Copa de la Diversión, plus four rebrands from the previous year.

In November 2018, MiLB announced an agreement with ECHO Incorporated making it the first commercial partner tied to Copa as the "Official Outdoor Power Tool of MiLB" and the "Official Outdoor Power Tool of Copa de la Diversión" ("Herramienta Oficial de la Copa de la Diversión"). Last month, ECHO extended its agreement with Minor League Baseball and Copa by becoming the "Official Outdoor Power Equipment of Copa de la Diversión™" ("Equipos Portatiles Motorizados - Equipos Oficiales de la Copa de la Diversión"). Additionally, MiLB announced a partnership with the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) in December 2018 to become an "Official Charity of MiLB Copa de la Diversión," making it the first-ever philanthropic partner tied specifically to MiLB's Hispanic fan engagement initiative. Minor League Baseball has raised awareness for the cause through the partnership and LFA's ¡Adiós Lupus! campaign in ballparks.

Minor League Baseball will announce the winner of the 2019 Copa de la Diversión (Fun Cup) event series next month at the Baseball Winter Meetings™ in San Diego.

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About Minor League Baseball 
Minor League Baseball is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball^® clubs through their farm systems. In 2019, Minor League Baseball attracted over 41.5 million fans to its ballparks to see baseball's future stars and experience affordable family-friendly entertainment that has been a staple of Minor League Baseball since 1901. For more information, visit www.MiLB.com. Follow Minor League Baseball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Media Contacts:
Mary Marandi, Minor League Baseball Communications, [email protected] 
Chanel Zapata, Minor League Baseball Marketing & Business Strategy, [email protected] (for all Spanish-language media requests)

SOURCE Minor League Baseball