T-Mobile is swinging for the fences at this year’s MLB All-Star Home Run Derby.
The un-carrier is the official sponsor of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Tuesday, July 11, in San Diego and is injecting some technological wows while raising money for youth charities.
The new T-Mobile Home Run Derby VR Experience, launching today at MLB All-Star Fan Fest in San Diego and in 2,200 T-Mobile stores nationwide, stars last year’s Derby champion Todd Frazier and allows fans to hit virtual home runs out of a virtual Petco Park wearing VR headsets.
During the Derby on Monday fans and customers can get insider access to MLB All-Stars via an online Social Lounge that will offer behind-the-scenes access and exclusive sideline chatter via MLB’s social-media accounts on Twitter, Periscope and Facebook Live, hosted by MLB All-Star Dexter Fowler, and featuring commentary from this year’s top players as they compete in the Derby.
In addition, T-Mobile and the T-Mobile Foundation will donate $1,000 for each home run hit during the Derby into a “magenta jackpot.” During designated bonus times, magenta baseballs will replace the standard white baseballs being hit, and every home run earns double that amount – $2,000. By the end of the competition, T-Mobile said it will donate up to $500,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and local youth baseball initiatives selected by the Derby winner. And every Derby player will be able to donate $10,000 of the jackpot to a local youth baseball initiative of their choosing.
Finally, fans can play along with the Derby in real time with the T-Mobile Home Run Derby Bracket Challenge for a chance to win tickets to Game 1 of the 2016 World Series. To enter the Bracket Challenge, fans can go to MLB.com/bracketchallenge or the MLB.com AtBat app and enter their bracket predictions starting immediately after the participants are announced and through July 11 at 7:59 p.m. ET.
“Treating our customers like VIPs and changing the game is what T-Mobile is all about, and that’s exactly what we’re doing at this year’s Home Run Derby.” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “We’re taking the Derby out of the ballpark and letting fans step up to the plate with 2015 Champion Todd Frazier in a first-of-its-kind VR experience for the Home Run Derby. Then, fans can step out on the field with the best big leaguers through our T-Mobile Social Lounge. It’s redefining how you can get in the game, and it’s 100 percent all for our customers.”
