Firehouse Subs has strengthened its marketing strategy by entering professional sports for the first time after signing a multi-year partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), becoming the league’s official sub across the United States and Canada.
The agreement represents the restaurant chain’s largest national sports marketing investment to date and marks its first partnership with a professional sports league. The collaboration also expands MLB’s portfolio of quick-service restaurant partners, combining nationwide consumer promotions with grassroots baseball initiatives designed to deepen fan engagement both on and off the field.
The partnership launches with the “Extra Innings, Extra Subs” campaign, a season-long promotion that rewards fans whenever any MLB game extends into extra innings on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. Customers who purchase a medium sub during the promotional period will receive a free medium sub, redeemable between the following Monday and Wednesday through the Firehouse Subs app or website using the promotional code “EXTRA.” The activation is designed to link the excitement of live baseball with digital engagement while driving customer loyalty through the brand’s online ordering platforms.
Beyond consumer-facing marketing, Firehouse Subs has become an official partner of MLB PLAY BALL, the league’s flagship youth participation initiative aimed at growing baseball and softball among children across North America. The company will also serve as the presenting partner of MLB Pitch, Hit & Run, the national skills competition for boys and girls aged 7 to 14, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026.
Carolina Berti, Chief Marketing Officer at Firehouse Subs, said, “We weren’t looking for just any sports partnership; we were looking for the right one. Baseball is that partner: a sport built on community, and a brand built to serve one. Together, we’re launching ‘Extra Innings, Extra Subs,’ a way for us to share more of our delicious subs back to the communities that show up for us all season long. And through MLB’s youth programs – PLAY BALL and Pitch, Hit & Run – we get to invest in the next generation of fans across the U.S. and Canada.”
Uzma Rawn Dowler, MLB Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Partnerships, added, “This new partnership with Firehouse Subs highlights some of the most important efforts that MLB undertakes outside our ballparks and some of the most exciting moments that take place on our diamonds. From PLAY BALL and Pitch, Hit & Run to ‘Extra Innings, Extra Subs,’ Firehouse is sliding into our partnership headfirst, and we can’t wait to see it come to life across MLB’s robust media platforms.”
The collaboration also reinforces Firehouse Subs’ longstanding community mission through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which has awarded more than US$115 million in grants to first responders and public safety organisations across North America. By combining nationwide promotional campaigns with investments in youth baseball and community programmes, the partnership positions Firehouse Subs to expand its brand presence while helping MLB strengthen fan engagement beyond game day.
