For example, ESPN’s Baseball Tonight airs both the night of the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game itself. Google Cloud, T-Mobile, and Capital One are among the brands that bought in.

“Leading into and out of [events], how do we utilize Sports Center in terms of sponsorship, how do we tap into social because we know that events like the Home Run Derby drive a lot of social presence and a lot of social engagement?” Brown said. “That’s another opportunity for brands to be a part of it if we’re capped for the actual broadcast itself.”

When MLB needs to make room for brands, it can simply extend All-Star Week’s schedule of events. From the first pitch at the HBCU Swingman Classic on July 11 to the final out of the All-Star Game on July 15, All-Star Week is now a five-day event with new installments, including the Home Run Derby X 3-on-3 hitting and catching competition between baseball and softball players (sponsored by business software company Sage).

In between a red carpet sponsored by Deer Park and an All-Star Village of activations sponsored by Capital One—where German apparel company and new MLB partner Strauss will be debuting a campaign—there are events like Capital One’s VIP welcome reception for clients, where guests can get pitching tips from Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and take photos in a branded dugout.

“Some of our partners have 17 activations happening, and some of our partners have three activations happening, and that’s sort of the beauty of this event and this week,” Rawn Dowler said. “We’ve done a really good job of creating pockets and moments for our partners to come to life in places that make sense for them.”