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The Indiana Fever are going back to Hawkins, Indiana, and The Upside Down.
Ahead of the November debut of the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” the team will don black jerseys inspired by the hit Netflix show for seven games, starting Thursday.
“This jersey represents the fierce spirit of our team and the fearless energy of ‘Stranger Things’—two forces that never back down,” Amber Cox, the Fever’s chief operating officer and general manager, said in written remarks. “As we celebrate our team and the cultural phenomenon that is ‘Stranger Things,’ we’re thrilled to bring back this awesome collaboration with Netflix.”
Financial terms of the sponsorship deal were not disclosed,
The partnership is a continuation of the Fever’s 2021 team-up with the streaming series, when the team debuted its first “Stranger Things”-themed jerseys and other merchandise. Only two players from that Fever squad—Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell—are still on the team.
The franchise will wear the jerseys during its home game against the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, as well as six other times this season:
— July 30 vs. Phoenix
— Aug. 9 vs. Chicago
— Aug. 12 vs. Dallas
— Aug. 26 vs. Seattle
— Aug. 29 at Los Angeles
— Sept. 9 vs. Minnesota
Debuting in July 2016, “Stranger Things” is considered Netflix’s most popular television series ever with its fourth season alone amassing over 140.7 million views globally.
The special-edition Fever jerseys feature red flourishes on a sea of black, as well as the team name and players emblazoned in white using the vintage-style “Stranger Things” font. The jerseys also feature Demagorgon claw accents and “011” on the waistband, a nod to one of the show’s most popular characters, Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown.
The jerseys and other “Stranger Things”-themed Fever merchandise can be purchased by the public online or at the team store at Gainbridge Fieldhouse starting Wednesday.
Shayna Sangster, associate vice president of marketing for the Fever, said that the deal with Netflix took about one year to complete and players were informed a few weeks ago.
The deal will go beyond merchandise, to include social media posts, visuals, game night specials and other promotions themed with the show, she said.
In particular, Sangster said, the team is leaning heavily into the show’s narrative involving the Eleven character.
“There’s a lot of symmetry there between her and our players and the battle that they go through on the court,” Sangster said. “Netflix is just really excited about it, and we’re really excited about it because there’s a lot of overlap, not only in the awareness and the excitement … but also the synergy around female empowerment.”
The final season of “Stranger Things” is set to premiere in three waves later this year: the four-episode Volume 1 on Nov. 26, the three-episode Volume 2 on Dec. 25 and a finale episode on Dec. 31, with all being released at 8 p.m.
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becaue there’s no end to what a pro team, especially in basketball, will do to sell the space on the jersey. Looks very unprofessional, in my opinion.