Twins strike deal to sell co-branded Prince merchandise at Target Field

Liz Roscher
·Staff writer
Anyone who liked the Twins’ special Prince t-shirts in 2017 is in luck, because the team will be selling special co-branded Prince merchandise at Target Field year-round. (AP Photo)
Anyone who liked the Twins’ special Prince t-shirts in 2017 is in luck, because the team will be selling special co-branded Prince merchandise at Target Field year-round. (AP Photo)

In 2017, the Minnesota Twins went purple for a night to celebrate the life and legacy of Prince, one of the most famous residents of Minneapolis (and one of the greatest musicians of all time, of course). But they didn’t just use purple lights in the stadiums. Players wore purple shirts with his symbol on the front, and fans were given an amazing Twins and Prince themed umbrella (that was purple, of course).

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The Twins announced on Monday that they’re bringing back Prince Night for 2018, and this time they’re doing even more. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the Twins will be selling co-branded Twins and Prince merchandise year-round, exclusively available at Target Field.

The Twins’ retail provider, Delaware North Sportservice, struck a deal with a company called Bravado, which was hired in 2017 by the Prince estate to handle his merchandising and branding. Team representatives said Prince’s family approved of the deal.

A deal like this, where special co-branded merchandise is available year round, isn’t common in MLB — in fact, it’s believed to be the first of its kind. In the past, there have been arrangements between musicians and teams to sell co-branded merchandise for concerts, but those items were made available only for a limited time.

Sadly, there aren’t a lot of renderings of purple Prince-branded merchandise to show off yet, but this hat is part of the special Prince Theme Night Package.

Prince Night will be Friday, June 8, and the first 10,000 fans will receive an inflatable Prince guitar, which is in the shape of his famous “Love Symbol.” But fans who want their Prince stuff won’t have to wait until June to get it. Fans will be able to purchase Prince/Twins merchandise starting April 5, and the selection will include baseballs, t-shirts, and hats.

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Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher