PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

OKC Dodgers Ranked Among Top 25 in MiLB Merchandise Sales in 2015

Published on June 13, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY - The freshly rebranded Oklahoma City Dodgers finished their inaugural season among the top 25 of Minor League Baseball's 160 teams in 2015 licensed merchandise sales, Minor League Baseball announced today.

The 2015 season was the first for Oklahoma City's Triple-A team to be known as the Dodgers after an ownership change and team rebranding from the Oklahoma City RedHawks following the 2014 season.

A total of 160 teams play in Minor League Baseball and they combined for more than $65.1 million in retail sales last year. The sales totals were based on total licensed merchandise sales from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2015.

The Oklahoma City Dodgers were one of 16 Triple-A and eight Pacific Coast League teams included in the top 25 of Minor League Baseball licensed merchandise sales in 2015. The 16-team PCL generated a league record $13.36 million in merchandise sales last year, an increase of 30 percent from 2014.

Last year, the Oklahoma City Dodgers experienced merchandise sales that were six times the total sales from 2014, and the team's sales revenues in 2015 equaled those from 2010-14 combined.

"The Dodgers brand is one of the most iconic in sports, and we are proud that the Dodgers name now also represents our great city of Oklahoma City," Oklahoma City Dodgers President/General Manager Michael Byrnes said. "The rebranding of our team was passionately embraced and we are grateful to all of the fans who have welcomed Oklahoma City as part of the Dodgers family."

Last year marked the first time Oklahoma City ranked among Minor League Baseball's top 25 in licensed merchandise sales since 2002. The team has averaged a ranking among the top 50 teams in licensed merchandise sales since 2010.

The sale of Oklahoma City's Triple-A franchise to Mandalay Baseball, LLC, was announced in September 2014. The new ownership group is a joint venture between ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers and an investor group led by Mandalay Entertainment Chairman and CEO Peter Guber. As a result of the ownership change, Oklahoma City became the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers.

Discussions about rebranding the team commenced soon after the ownership change, and in December 2014, the Oklahoma City Dodgers were introduced, along with changes in team colors, logos and uniforms.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' graphic design team developed the Oklahoma City Dodgers' look, incorporating several elements of the Los Angeles Dodgers' history, as well as the culture of Oklahoma City and Bricktown.

Some of the elements of the new brand - including the Dodgers script and the famous "shooting ball" - have been associated with the Dodgers since 1938. Oklahoma City's home jerseys mirror the current home jerseys of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the home OKC hat is styled after the old Brooklyn Dodgers' hats.

For a complete list of the top 25 teams in MiLB licensed merchandise sales last season, visit milb.com.

"Minor League Baseball team names and logos are quirky, fun and contemporary, but they are also incredible marketing tools for the clubs they represent," Minor League Baseball's Director of Licensing Sandie Hebert said. "Each year, we see familiar logos on the Top 25 list, and some newcomers, showing both the longevity and modern appeal of our trademarks. It's interesting to see how clubs choose to brand their identities, and how that translates into merchandise sales."

The Oklahoma City Dodgers Team Store, located on the west side of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on home game Saturdays.

The online Oklahoma City Dodgers Team Store is always open at shopokcdodgers.com.

Check out the Oklahoma City Comets Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 13, 2016


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