Kakao Entertainment said on the 4th that it has signed an MD business partnership with the professional baseball club Samsung Lions and will take charge of planning, production, distribution, and sales of the club's official MD.
Under this partnership, Kakao Entertainment will oversee the entire official MD business using the licenses of the Samsung Lions club and its players for three years through 2028. In addition to directly planning and producing products, it will operate online and offline stores to provide differentiated fan experiences to Samsung Lions fans at home and abroad.
Kakao Entertainment will unveil a diverse MD lineup that reflects the identity and universe of the Samsung Lions. It has prepared product categories that span lifestyles in and around the ballpark, including replica uniforms that reinterpret the design of actual game uniforms for everyday wear, folding cushions, patches, and photocard pouches. Specialized items that capture the unique character of the club and each player, as well as original IP collaboration products, will be released sequentially.
Based on fandom insights and planning capabilities accumulated across genres such as K-pop and K-webtoons, Kakao Entertainment plans to introduce products differentiated from existing baseball MD and create an environment where Samsung Lions fans can connect with the club across various touchpoints in daily life.
The online store will officially open in February through "Berriz Shop" within the global K-culture fan platform Berriz. Leveraging Berriz's fulfillment infrastructure, including multilingual support, multi-currency payments, and a reliable delivery system, accessibility for domestic and overseas fans will be enhanced. The offline team store will reopen after renovations in March, and various online and offline initiatives tied to the opening of the 2026 KBO regular season will also roll out.
A Kakao Entertainment official said, "Korean professional baseball has built a powerful fandom that spans generations," and added, "Based on our experience operating a global fan platform, we will deliver new enjoyment to fans in the sports IP space together with the Samsung Lions."