Why Sports Marketing Starts With Identity ft. Uzma Rawn Dowler of MLB

The Cannes Lions 2026 series of Marketing Vanguard continues as host Jenny Rooney sits down with Uzma Rawn Dowler, CMO & SVP of global corporate partnerships at Major League Baseball. 

In this conversation, Uzma shares why fandom is not a behavior but an identity, and why that changes the entire MLB marketing equation. 

She gets into how baseball’s eight-month season creates a daily storytelling engine, why partner integration needs to feel organic to the fan experience and how MLB thinks about brand building through commercialization, culture and community. 

This episode is part of a special vidcast series that was recorded live during Cannes Lions 2026 and presented in partnership with Edelman.

What you’ll learn:

• Why fandom should be treated as identity, not just consumer behavior
• How MLB balances brand building with revenue-driving marketing
• Why top-of-funnel storytelling matters if you want bottom-of-funnel conversion
• How 4,200+ games create daily moments for authentic partner integration
• Why MLB frames partnerships as solutions, not sponsorship assets
• How player storytelling helps the league understand what will resonate with fans
• Why hiring smart people and relinquishing control is essential for modern CMO leadership

About our guest:

Uzma Rawn Dowler is the CMO & SVP of global corporate partnerships at Major League Baseball, where she leads marketing for one of the world’s most iconic sports leagues. After more than a decade working across sponsorships and partnerships at MLB, Uzma stepped into the CMO role with a rare dual perspective: how to protect and build the MLB brand while also helping partners solve real business problems through baseball. 

Her work sits at the intersection of fan identity, brand storytelling, cultural relevance and commercial growth. From player storytelling to brand partnerships with companies like Mastercard, Adobe and Mountain Dew, Uzma’s approach is rooted in making marketing feel native to the moments fans already care about.