Baton MLS partnership gives Danny Ramirez soccer film a league-sized boost
Major League Soccer is backing Danny Ramirez’s Baton, giving the soccer drama marketing reach as it moves through post-production.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
The Baton MLS partnership puts Danny Ramirez’s upcoming soccer drama inside Major League Soccer’s marketing machine, with Deadline reporting that the tie-up is the league’s most significant collaboration with a feature film so far.
The film, written and directed by Ramirez, is now in post-production, according to Deadline. Ramirez also stars in the picture, which centers on a player trying to claw his way back toward the professional game after being removed from his college team and sent back to Miami.
MLS will provide the movie with access to its marketing ecosystem, Deadline reported, giving Baton a route to reach soccer fans across the United States and Canada. The partnership adds another soccer heavyweight to the project: David Beckham is already attached as an executive producer through Studio 99.
What is Baton about?
Baton follows a soccer player chasing a professional future after his college career falls apart, according to Deadline. His path takes him toward the MLS College Showcase while a family conflict with his sister over their mother’s legacy threatens the closest relationship he has left.
The producers said the movie was conceived as something that could travel beyond the screen, and that partnering with MLS supports that aim. They also pointed to the success of the World Cup as a reason they believe the timing is right for a major soccer film, according to Deadline.
Seth Bacon, MLS executive vice president of media, said in a statement reported by Deadline that the league looks for ways to connect fans with soccer in “new and meaningful ways.” He described Baton as a story tied to passion, resilience and community, and said Ramirez had made a film reflecting an emotional journey familiar to many players and fans.
Who is in the Baton cast?
Ramirez leads a large ensemble that includes Maia Reficco, Lewis Pullman, Eugenio Derbez, Ester Exposito, Diego Calva, Edgar Ramirez, Camila Mendes, Becky G, Gabriel Luna, Rosario Dawson, Mia Maestro and Noah Beck, Deadline reported.
The film’s producers include Victoria Alonso for Mapuche Films, Danny Ramirez and Tom Culliver for Pinstripes, Ford Corbett for Gramercy Park and Joshua Harris for Peachtree Media, according to Deadline.
The report said CAA, WME and Manifest Pictures are representing the film. No release date was included in Deadline’s report.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.