Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) and global digital media company Getty Images today announced a long-term extension of their successful partnership. Getty Images will continue to serve as the exclusive commercial photography partner of Major League Baseball (MLB) and exclusive licensor of the entire MLB image archive. Under the terms of the partnership, which began in 2004, Getty Images will continue to capture America’s National Pastime and provide MLB, the 30 clubs, MLB business partners, fans and the global media immediate access to a vast collection of unique and historic baseball imagery.
Getty Images is recognized worldwide for having the best photographers, access and distribution platforms – and photographs every MLB game, providing 100 percent coverage for Major League Baseball fans around the world. As the global leader in sports photography, Getty Images continues to expand its baseball offering under this partnership, including a full suite of services from licensing and rights management, to hosting and managing the vast and expanding collection of MLB imagery. To meet the demands of the global sport, Getty Images photographers captured over 275,000 images during the 2012 season and are on pace to increase that figure by more than 20 percent in 2013.
“At Getty Images, we are huge fans of baseball and are thrilled to continue our partnership with Major League Baseball Properties and to bring our unrivaled photography, access and distribution to customers and fans worldwide,” said Getty Images Co-founder and CEO Jonathan Klein. “We look forward to delivering up-to-the minute coverage of every Major League Baseball game and to creating a robust archive that preserves the legacy of baseball for future generations.”
Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball, commented, “Every pitch in every game across Major League Baseball carries with it the potential for history, and Getty Images is there to document it with us every step of the way,” Brosnan said. “Ensuring access to the highest quality photography for our Clubs, the media and our fans is more important than ever before, and Getty Images is the best in the business.”
Getty Images will continue to photograph MLB games and promotional events during the regular season, Postseason and World Series, as well as fan and entertainment events throughout the year. The defining moments captured by Getty Images’ team of award-winning photographers showcase America’s National Pastime to fans around the world and Getty Images will continue to curate one of the most significant collections of MLB imagery available today.
The MLB image archive features the game’s legendary athletes and teams, as well as photos of its greatest plays, and is a historical testament to baseball’s enduring popularity. The Getty Images MLB archive currently includes more than 1.4 million images.
Getty Images’ commitment to sports photography is unparalleled. In addition to the partnership with MLBP, the company is the official partner to more than 50 sports governing bodies, leagues and clubs, including the USOC, PGA Tour, NASCAR, NBA, NHL, Manchester United and many other English premier league clubs. Getty Images is also the Official Photographic Agency of the IOC, Authorized Photographic Agency of FIFA and Principal Photographic Supplier to UEFA. Getty Images’ complete MLB collection can be viewed online at
www.gettyimages.com.