Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot, video game developer GungHo, Japanese logistics firm Nippon Express and financial services company Nomura Securities headline a suite of newly announced sponsors for the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC).

The four companies have all signed up to become global sponsors of the international baseball tournament, which is co-organised by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).

As global sponsors, each of the companies will receive a brand presence at the six venues staging next month’s tournament, which will be hosted in the US, Japan, Mexico and South Korea.

As well as confirming the new global partners, World Baseball Classic Inc has also announced that there will be a record 23 companies sponsoring the 12 participating nations as national team sponsors.

In addition to backing the tournament itself, GungHo and Nippon Express will feature on the jersey and helmet of Team Japan respectively. Electronics company LG will brand both the helmet and the jersey of Team Korea, while Banco BHD Leon will return to support Team Dominican Republic, the tournament’s reigning champions having claimed the title in 2013.

Team Mexico will be backed by AT&T and Comex. Meanwhile, it has also been announced that Delta Airlines will serve as the preferred carrier for the tournament, which gets underway on 6th March. No financial terms were released.

“The World Baseball Classic is a one-of-a kind tournament and the diversity of marketing partners associated with the 2017 edition is a testament to its unique nature and reach,” said Dominick Balsamo, the vice president of international media sales and marketing partnerships at MLB.

“This event is special in that it extends the opportunity for activation inside six international venues, integrated branding on in-game national team uniforms, and exposure across media platforms worldwide.”