Marvel, MiLB Join Forces To Bring ‘Defenders Of The Diamond’ To Ballparks
Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 01:45PM By Barry Janoff
October 14, 2021: Minor League Baseball has gone through major changes over the past two seasons, but one major goal has not changed: The quest to engage and entertain people nationwide.
With that in mind, MiLB, under the auspices of MLB, has signed a three-year partnership with Marvel Entertainment for a platform called “Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond," bringing Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Fantastic Four and others to baseball stadiums across the country.
The strategy will play out in MiLB ballparks during the 2022-2024 baseball seasons, with 96 of MiLB’s 120 teams currently participating.
“Over the past few years, we have seen the fans of Minor League Baseball truly embrace Marvel-themed games, so having a nearly league-wide partnership will allow us to take creativity and storytelling to the next level,” Mike Pasciullo, Marvel Entertainment vp product development and marketing-brand, franchise and sports, said via the company.
“And it wouldn't be Marvel if we did not have a few major surprises to unveil along the way!”
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co.
The alliance was unveiled at the “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” exhibit in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
The exhibit celebrates Marvel history with more than 300 artifacts, including original comic book pages, sculptures, costumes and interactive displays.
“MiLB’s new partnership with Marvel Entertainment brings together two storied brands who create memories that are passed down from generation to generation,” Kurt Hunzeker, MLB vp-Minor League business operations, said via the league. “The possibilities with this partnership are endless and we look forward to some incredibly creative content, merchandise and promotions.
"We all know the story of how Tony Stark became Iron Man, just as baseball fans know that before Mookie Betts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Mike Trout were Major League All-Stars. They were prospects preparing for their hero moments in baseball-loving MiLB communities like Greenville, South Carolina, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Little Rock, Arkansas."
In each of the three years of the partnership, all participating MiLB teams will host at least one Marvel Super Hero-themed game.
Teams will wear special edition Marvel Super Hero-branded jerseys on-field during the game with other Marvel-themed activities and promotions taking place throughout the game.
Marvel said it would will create a “Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond” comic book for MiLB fans that will be distributed in participating MiLB ballparks throughout the partnership.
Co-branded merchandise and other activation will be unveiled in 2022 as part of a wide array of custom content Marvel said it would create for the new initiative.
"We have only just started exploring the new Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond universe of content," said Hunzeker.
“We cannot wait to explore the endless possibilities and potential integrating Marvel’s award-winning creativity with Minor League Baseball’s award-winning creativity to tell new stories about our players, teams, communities, and most of all, our fans starting with the 2022 season."
The deal was facilitated by AthLife, Inc, Marvel’s longtime sports representative.
See full list of participating MiLB teams here.
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