Minor League Baseball Announces Partnership with Leading Small Business Lender OnDeck
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball, America's leader for affordable family entertainment, has partnered with On Deck Capital, Inc. (NYSE:ONDK), a leading platform for small business loans, for the 2015 season.
As part of the season-long agreement, OnDeck will be an "Official Partner of Minor League Baseball" and the "Proud Partner" of more than 20 activation clubs throughout the league in both full-season and short-season markets. OnDeck will also serve as the title sponsor of the "Minor League Baseball Game of the Week" to be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network starting in late May. The television slate opens May 28 at 8 p.m. EST, as the El Paso Chihuahuas visit the Round Rock Express in Pacific Coast League action.
"Minor League Baseball welcomes OnDeck to our growing family of partners for the 2015 season," said Michael Hand, CMO, Minor League Baseball and President, MiLB Enterprises. "According to Nielson Scarborough, MiLB attendees are 22 percent more likely than the national average to be small business owners. We feel OnDeck's mission to empower small businesses will resonate deeply in our 160 markets across the country and provide new opportunities for small businesses seeking capital to grow."
"We believe small businesses are the cornerstones of their communities, which is why OnDeck seeks to develop relationships with organizations that have strong local market roots," said Andrea Gellert, CMO, OnDeck. "Partnering with Minor League Baseball gives us an opportunity to support America's national pastime and engage with small business owners throughout the country in a unique and family-friendly way."
In support of the partnership, OnDeck will also present a "Small Business of the Month Award" each month during the 2015 season in activation markets, where each club will recognize a small business in its community during an on-field presentation. Each honored local business will have the opportunity to participate in the pregame activities, including the chance to throw out a ceremonial first pitch. In addition to the monthly awards, OnDeck will select one local business as the recipient of the "Small Business of the Year Award," presented this December at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit OnDeck's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OnDeckCapital for more information.
About Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2014, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.4 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.
About OnDeck
OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), a leading platform for small business loans, is committed to increasing Main Street's access to capital. OnDeck uses advanced lending technology and analytics to assess creditworthiness based on actual operating performance and not solely on personal credit. The OnDeck Score®, the company's proprietary small business credit scoring system, evaluates thousands of data points to deliver a credit decision rapidly and accurately. Small businesses can apply for a line of credit or term loan online in minutes, get a decision immediately and receive funds in as fast as the same day. OnDeck also partners with small business service providers, enabling them to connect their customers to OnDeck financing. OnDeck's diversified loan funding strategy enables the company to fund small business loans from various credit facilities, securitization and the OnDeck Marketplace®, a platform that enables institutional investors to purchase small business loans originated by OnDeck.
Since 2007, OnDeck has deployed more than $2 billion to more than 700 different industries in all 50 U.S. states, and also makes small business loans in Canada. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and operates the website BusinessLoans.com which provides credit education and information about small business financing. On December 17, 2014, OnDeck started trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ONDK.
For more information, please visit www.ondeck.com and follow OnDeck on Twitter @OnDeckCapital.