Fanatics Wants to Create the 'Comic-Con of Sports' with Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, and More Hall of Famers at Its Inaugural 'Fanatics Fest' Fanatics Fest will take place in August in New York.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It's impossible to be a sports fan without seeing a Fanatics product. After all, the company is a licensed sportswear retailer for almost every league you can imagine: MLB, MLS, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, NASCAR, Formula 1, WWE, and more.
Now, in an effort to give fans an immersive experience in the industry that it dominates, Fanatics announced on Thursday that it will be hosting "Fanatics Fest," a three-day ticketed event filled with activations, athletes, and more at the Javits Center in Manhattan from August 16 through the 18.
Fans can meet and mingle with their favorite current and former athletes, including Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, and Peyton Manning. There will also be merchandise and product drops, live podcasts and other "bespoke content," and the promise of some "major announcements" in the world of sports, according to a company release.
CEO of Fanatics Michael Rubin. Photo Provided by Fanatics
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Fanatics began as a sporting goods retailer in 1995 and has since become a global sports behemoth featuring merchandise, trading cards, online sports betting, live commerce, live events, and more, thanks to serial entrepreneur and CEO Michael Rubin.
In 2011, Rubin purchased Fanatics and merged it with his e-commerce platform, GSI Commerce, before selling the two together to eBay for $2.4 billion.
EBay, however, only wanted the commerce operations and agreed to sell Fanatics back to Rubin for $330 million.
Now, the company is worth an estimated $31 billion as of December 2023.
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"Sports fans deserve a place to gather, celebrate their passions, and foster new ones, and Fanatics Fest NYC aims to do just that," said the CEO of Fanatics Events, Lance Fensterman. "Unlike any other events in the world of sports fandom, Fanatics Fest NYC will reside at the intersection of sports, culture, entertainment, and collecting, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome fans into part of what will become a yearlong calendar of premium live experiences."
Fanatics Fest will also hold an on-site "trading pit" for sports card collecting, trading, and training, as well as feature some of the rarest, most coveted cards and memorabilia in the world.
Tickets are on sale through the event's official website, with prices ranging from $30 for one-day kids tickets, $50 for one-day adult tickets, $65 for a three-day kids pass, $130 for a three-day adult pass, and $400 for a three-day VIP pass.
