Fanatics to launch sports activities media and leisure studio

Sports activities merchandising large Fanatics introduced on Tuesday the launch of Fanatics Studios, a media and leisure studio established as a three way partnership with OBB Media.

Fanatics Studios will create, produce and distribute content material on the intersection of sports activities and tradition, the corporate mentioned in a launch. This may embrace function movies, documentaries, scripted and unscripted content material, reside occasions and digital sequence.

OBB Media founder and CEO Michael Ratner will function CEO of the corporate.

“I am extremely enthusiastic about launching Fanatics Studios and including an necessary content material and media enterprise to our rising sports activities platform that additionally helps all of our present companies,” Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin mentioned in a press release.

Rubin acquired e-commerce web site Fanatics in 2011 and has constructed the corporate right into a cross-sector juggernaut. Fanatics has broadened its attain amongst sports activities followers by collectibles, sports activities betting, reside purchasing and occasions.

Fanatics now employs greater than 22,000 individuals and is valued at greater than $30 billion, in line with an individual conversant in the matter. The corporate expects $13 billion in income in 2026.

Fanatics estimates the brand new content material studio will document nine-figure income in its first 12 months of operation, making it a significant a part of the enterprise, the particular person mentioned.

The corporate already has a slate of initiatives that features serving as a content material accomplice for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a flag soccer event happening in Saudi Arabia and a multipart documentary on seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion Tom Brady.

Fanatics Studios will even do initiatives with ESPN, WWE and Main League Baseball, the corporate mentioned.

“Collectively, we’re going to proceed pushing our mission of relentlessly enhancing the fan expertise by creating content material that brings followers nearer than ever to the groups, gamers, sports activities, cultural moments and occasions that they love in a manner that is by no means been executed earlier than,” Rubin mentioned.