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Fanatics, the leading sports merchandising company widely recognized for its jerseys and collectibles, has unveiled a significant expansion into entertainment with the launch of Fanatics Studios, a comprehensive content division announced Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The newly formed studio has already secured several high-profile projects that will strengthen the company’s influence in sports media. Among its inaugural ventures is the official Olympic film for the LA28 Games, a multi-part documentary following NFL legend Tom Brady, and a production partnership with ESPN for the 2026 ESPY Awards. Additional collaborations include partnerships with WWE, Major League Baseball, and Fox Sports.
Fanatics Studios aims to independently develop, finance, produce, and distribute a wide range of content formats including feature films, documentaries, unscripted originals, live event specials, and premium digital series. This strategic move establishes a major content division within Fanatics’ expanding sports platform, which currently encompasses apparel, collectibles, betting, and live events such as Fanatics Fest, scheduled for July 16-19 in New York.
“I’m incredibly excited about launching Fanatics Studios and adding an important content and media business to our growing sports platform that also supports all of our existing businesses,” said Michael Rubin, founder of Fanatics. Rubin has partnered with veteran producer Michael Ratner and his production company, OBB Media, to lead the new venture.
Ratner will serve as CEO of Fanatics Studios while continuing to manage OBB’s other business operations. “Sports and pop culture are converging at the heart of the global entertainment landscape and we’re building Fanatics Studios to redefine what is possible at that intersection,” Ratner explained, highlighting the studio’s ambition to capitalize on the growing overlap between sports and entertainment.
One of the studio’s most anticipated early projects is “One More Drive,” a documentary series that follows Brady as he prepares for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. The series will also explore Brady’s potential participation with Team USA as flag football makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. This project aligns with the studio’s broader Olympic-related content strategy, which will spotlight athletes, culture, and defining moments of the Games.
The expansion into content production represents a natural progression for Fanatics, which has steadily diversified its business beyond merchandise. The company has become a dominant force in sports commerce, valued at over $31 billion following fundraising earlier this year. By creating original content, Fanatics can leverage its existing relationships with leagues, teams, and athletes to deliver unique storytelling opportunities that strengthen fan connections.
Sports media experts view this move as part of a larger industry trend where companies with strong fan relationships are vertically integrating to own more of the consumer experience. By controlling content creation, Fanatics can create synergies across its business units, potentially using original programming to drive merchandise sales, enhance betting engagement, and increase the value of its collectibles.
“We are going to continue pushing our mission of relentlessly enhancing the fan experience by creating content that brings fans closer than ever to the teams, players, sports, cultural moments and events that they love in a way that’s never been done before,” Rubin said, underscoring the company’s commitment to deepening fan engagement.
The studio held a formal launch event in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, bringing together key industry figures and potential content partners to celebrate this significant expansion of the Fanatics brand into the entertainment sector.
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8 Comments
Interesting move by Fanatics to expand into entertainment content. Leveraging their sports expertise and partnerships to produce a variety of media formats could be a smart strategy to grow their brand and engage fans.
I wonder how this new studio will differentiate its content compared to what’s already available from major sports leagues and media companies.
Expanding into entertainment is a logical next step for Fanatics as they look to grow their sports-focused business. Developing a diverse range of content formats could help them reach new audiences.
The partnerships with leagues like the Olympics, NFL, and WWE demonstrate Fanatics’ ability to leverage their existing relationships. Producing their own content could give them more control over the fan experience.
I’m curious to see if Fanatics’ content will focus more on sports stories and personalities, or if they’ll venture into broader entertainment as well.
While Fanatics is best known for their apparel and collectibles, this move into content production shows their ambition to become a more fully integrated sports media company. It will be worth watching how their studio offerings perform.
The Olympic film and Tom Brady documentary sound like high-profile projects that could draw a lot of interest. Fanatics seems to be positioning itself as a one-stop sports entertainment powerhouse.
It will be interesting to see if Fanatics can successfully transition from merchandising into original content production and distribution.