VF Imagewear, Inc., a subsidiary of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), announced today that it has extended its strategic licensing agreements with both Major League Baseball Properties and the Major League Baseball Players Association. These agreements with VF Imagewear’s key strategic partners fuel the momentum of February’s announcement of the purchase of Majestic Athletic, the leading global provider of authentic sports licensed apparel and branded uniforms for Major League Baseball.
Both agreements solidify the global apparel licensing rights that were held separately by Majestic Athletic and VF Imagewear prior to the transaction announced earlier this year. Specifically, these comprehensive license agreements cover authentic, replica and fanwear products for all size ranges, both genders and distribution channels. The license agreement with MLBPA runs through 2012, while the agreements with MLB Properties were extended through 2014.
Ed Doran, President of VF Imagewear, Inc., stated, “The Majestic acquisition effectively opened exclusive channels of retail distribution by combining Imagewear’s extensive fanwear capabilities with Majestic’s unique expertise in authentic, replica and player products. These landmark agreements solidify extremely successful partnerships and provide the continuity required to grow these businesses for all parties. We have experienced a tremendous working relationship in the past with both of these strategic partners, and are excited about our futures together.”
“Major League Baseball and VF Imagewear have developed a successful business partnership, so it is a great pleasure to announce this multi-year extension,” said Howard Smith, Senior Vice President, Licensing, Major League Baseball Properties. “With its recent acquisition of Majestic Athletic, VF has strategically positioned itself to continue to provide MLB, our Clubs and our fans with the highest quality licensed products and the high level of customer service that we have come to expect.”
Richard White, General Manager of Licensing for the Major League Baseball Players Association, stated, "The purchase of Majestic Athletic greatly enhances VF's ability to fully meet the significant demand for baseball licensed apparel across all channels of distribution. We're especially excited that VF's resources, including Majestic's committed staff, will focus much of their efforts on bringing the power of Major League baseball players to all aspects of apparel in new and creative ways."
About VF Imagewear, Inc.
VF Imagewear, Inc. is a subsidiary of VF Corporation, with two primary divisions: Image and Activewear. The Activewear division markets branded apparel under agreements with licensors such as the Major League Baseball (MLB), the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), leading Colleges under the ESPN College GameDay™ brands, NASCAR’s leading teams and drivers and Harley-Davidson. The Image apparel division provides a broad array of uniforms and protective apparel to corporate customers, government and public safety agencies, service businesses and industrial laundries.
VF Corporation is a leader in branded apparel including jeanswear, outdoor products, image apparel and sportswear. Its principal brands include Lee®, Wrangler®, Riders®, Rustler®, Nautica®, John Varvatos®, JanSport®, Eastpak®, The North Face®, Vans®, Reef®, Napapijri®, Kipling®, Eagle Creek®, Lee Sport® and Red Kap®.
VF Corporation's press releases, annual report and other information can be accessed through the Company's home page, www.vfc.com.
About The Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players.
About Major League Baseball Properties
The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) in 1966 as the Clubs’ agent for marketing and trademark licensing and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs, broadcast rightsholders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events. For more information on Major League Baseball, log on to www.MLB.com.
