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☆ Matt Hilton: Beekeeper revels in ‘surreal’ experience after his MLB heroics, gets a trading card deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Don Riddell | Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Beekeeper Matt Hilton said the last few days have been “crazy” after becoming the latest star of Major League Baseball. Hilton became the hero on Tuesday after he was called out to deal with a swarm of bees that was delaying the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game. I mean, I’m going to Chase Field and the Diamondbacks and Dodgers playing,” Hilton told CNN Sport’s Don Riddell. Beekeeper Hilton hypes up the crowd after removing the swarm of bees. Limited edition trading cardThe spotlight, though, still remains on Hilton after the beekeeper’s efforts were further rewarded with his very own Topps trading card.

Persons: Matt Hilton, Hilton, Arizona’s, ” Hilton, CNN Sport’s Don Riddell, “, ”, Bonnie Tyler’s “, Beekeeper Hilton hypes, Christian Petersen, “ It’s, I’m, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Major League Baseball, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chase Field, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Blue Sky Pest, Hilton, Topps, ” Topps, Twitter, The Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres

☆ Caitlin Clark just broke another record
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa athlete who last week became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball, is breaking more records. That meant athletes, like Clark, could start making money off their likeness. Fanatics told CNN that that it sold more Clark-branded merchandise “than any other individual men’s or women’s NIL-era college athlete across all sports has sold since 2022,” in less than 24 hours after she broke the record last Friday night. And the growing profiles of top athletes like Clark are helping to bring more attention — and more revenue — to women’s college sports programs and professional leagues. He added that Clark herself has a following of “Clarkies.”CNN’s Clare Duffy and Allison Morrow contributed to this report.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Clark, Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders, ’, can’t, Clark’s, ”, Patrick Rishe, St . Louis, “, ” CNN’s Clare Duffy, Allison Morrow Organizations: New, New York CNN, University of Iowa, NCAA, CNN, Clark, University of Colorado Buffaloes, NFL Hall of, Nike, Topps, Gatorade, State Farm, WNBA, Brands, “, Washington University Locations: New York, Iowa, St .

☆ Why the new Major League Baseball jerseys have players and fans furious
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Major League Baseball players will be wearing new jerseys this season. Some players have complained that there are fewer tailored options available for pants, and the players’ union has reportedly raised criticism of the jerseys to Nike and MLB. (The Major League Baseball Players’ Association did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.) Teams retire their most important players’ jersey numbers. “This is joining that narrative.”Some NHL fans, like baseball fans, are worried about Fanatics’ deal with the NHL to produce authentic jerseys players wear in games because of concerns about quality, limited selection and prices.

Persons: Sam Navarro, ”, cringe, Stephen Andon, ” Andon, “, Nike, ” Jason Heyward, Rob Manfred, They’re, what’s, Paul Lukas, Billie Weiss, ” Lukas, ’, Andon Organizations: New, New York CNN — Major League Baseball, Nike, MLB, Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Mariners, USA, Reuters, Baltimore Orioles, Major League Baseball Players ’, Montclair State University, Los Angeles Dodgers, NFL, NBA, NHL, Topps, Mitchell, Sports, Uni Watch, Boston Red Sox, Adidas, Reebok, CNN Locations: New York, New St

Hobby shops, though, remain the core of the card world, and shopkeepers are adjusting to Fanatics in different ways. Lately, he said, Panini, not Fanatics, has issued more cards that have been a hit with his customers. “Panini could have rolled over when Fanatics came in, but they care about the stores, the public,” he said. In the interim, Fanatics has issued cards with Mr. Wembanyama in street clothes, while Panini has issued unsigned Wembanyama cards. Mr. Calvanico added that Fanatics hadn’t provided enough information about its upcoming releases, which makes it hard for him to gauge customer demand.

Persons: Mike Calvanico, Panini, ”, “, haven’t, Victor Wembanyama, Calvanico, hadn’t, We’re Organizations: Panini, Topps, San Antonio Spurs Locations: Lyndhurst , N.J

☆ LeBron James signs trading card deal with Fanatics Collectibles, leaving Upper Deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LeBron James is moving his trading card sponsorship to Fanatics Collectibles after more than 20 years with rival Upper Deck. Fanatics will kick off the deal by selling a unique Bowman brand card featuring a dual autograph of the National Basketball Association legend and his son Bronny. The multiyear deal will mean new inventory of signed James trading cards. It also shakes up the balance of power in the recently revived sports memorabilia and trading card industry. Fanatics Collectibles, under Michael Rubin's $31 billion sports platform company Fanatics, purchased Topps in 2022 for $500 million.

Persons: LeBron James, Bronny, James, James hasn't, Mike Mahan, Michael Rubin's Organizations: Bowman, National Basketball Association, Topps

☆ Fanatics' Topps is putting Tom Brady on a Montreal Expos trading card
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-12 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

One of the most anticipated yearly releases for baseball card collectors is the Topps Bowman Draft set, the first time MLB draftees are featured on a card. While the odds of a prospect making the majors are historically low, the chance for collectors to get the first card of a potential Hall of Famer makes it one of the most popular trading card sets under the Topps umbrella. But there was one MLB draftee who was a lock for the Hall of Fame, albeit in another sport: Tom Brady. Brady, well-known for his NFL career, was drafted in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos. When Mike Mahan, CEO of Fanatics Collectibles — the arm within Fanatics that oversees Topps and its cards and collectibles business — heard that Brady never had a baseball card, it fit perfectly into what the company is trying to do with trading cards.

Persons: Tom Brady, Brady, Mike Mahan, —, Mahan, Dick Clark Organizations: Topps, Major League Baseball, of Famer, MLB, Hall of Fame, NFL, Montreal Expos, Dick Clark Productions

☆ Fanatics and competitor Panini launch legal battle with a pair of lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The dispute comes down to licensing rights for professional sports league and their associated trading cards: Panini currently has the league and player union licenses to produce trading cards for the NBA and NFL. It's held those exclusive rights since 2009 and 2016, respectively. In its antitrust suit against Fanatics, Panini alleged that "Fanatics positioned itself to drive Panini and other potential competitors out of the market, and erected barriers to entry blocking their return." Fanatics claims Panini "embarked on a protracted, unlawful, and deceitful campaign of unfair trade practices, strong-arm tactics, and tortious misconduct to hamper Fanatics Collectibles' nascent business, in the hopes that it could force Fanatics Collectibles to pay an extortionate amount for Panini to terminate its licenses early." The move also helped to terminate a SPAC merger for Topps after it lost the MLB rights.

Persons: Brandon Igdalsky, Panini, countersued, It's, Silver Organizations: NASCAR, Pocono, Sports, NBA, NFL, Panini, International Olympic, MLB, Topps, Endeavor Group, Insight Partners, CNBC Disruptor Locations: Long Pond, PA

☆ Fanatics holds second investor day as the company moves toward IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Portrait for a profile on Fanatics founder & CEO Michael Rubin at his office in downtown NYC. Fanatics held its second investor day in nearly a year as the company quietly moves closer to an initial public offering, a source familiar with the matter tells CNBC. Investors were also treated to a surprise visit by football great Tom Brady, an investor in the company. Last November, Rubin gathered sell-side analysts for a meet-and-greet and to talk about his growth plans for the company. And in April, the company announced it was hiring Deborah Crawford from Meta to lead investor relations, a new position at the company.

Persons: Michael Rubin, Goldman Sachs, Tom Brady, Brady, Rubin, Deborah Crawford, Ness Organizations: CNBC, Barclays, NBA Players Association, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, Topps, CNBC Disruptor Locations: York, NY, NYC, New York, Florida, Meta, U.S

PointsBet forecast a loss of between $77 million and $82 million for the second half of the year. "This is a 10-year journey," Matt King, the CEO of Fanatics Betting, said at the SBC Conference earlier this month. You can kind of move slower, slightly slower today, in order to move fast later." Fanatics owns commerce assets, a sports trading card business, and is building out a sports betting division. The company acquired legendary trading card company Topps for $500 million last year.

☆ US sports giant Fanatics acquires top Italian football club merchandiser
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fanatics has acquired Italian sports merchandise company Epi for an undisclosed amount and will rebrand the Milan-based company as Fanatics Italy. The company operates the ecommerce, in-venue, physical retail store and third-party logistics for several of the top football clubs in Italy including AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, as well as the Italian Football Federation, which oversees the Italian national team. The deal builds upon Fanatics' existing presence in Europe and across the globe, which totals more than 60 offices, and manufacturing and distribution facilities. Roughly a "low double-digit" percentage of Fanatics' revenue comes from outside North America, Mack said, declining to comment further as Fanatics is a private company. Revenue for Fanatics will be approximately $8 billion in 2023, according to previous company estimates seen by CNBC.

☆ How Fanatics and MLB are planning to keep the trading card boom going
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

MLB trading card partner Fanatics has plans for new rookie card features this season as part of a bigger plan to increase the value of Topps baseball cards for collectors. "Fanatics is focused on the best experience for the fan, and collectibles is focused on the best collector experience," said Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan. After the game, the patch will be authenticated and placed directly onto their rookie card in a future Topps set. While the sports trading card industry had seen growth in recent years, the pandemic put the hobby into overdrive. Cards across sports have been selling for record prices, including a $12.6 million sale for a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, the highest price ever paid for a trading card.

☆ A 27-page report breaks down where the money is flowing in sports tech and the investors to watch. Here were 5 key takeaways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Investment bank Drake Star broke down dealmaking in 2022 and what it means for the year ahead. Sports tech M&A activity in 2022, from Drake Star's Global Sports Tech Report 2022. Drake Star Global Sports Tech Report 2022The fourth quarter saw a surge in M&A volume with 67 deals, the most in the sector's recent history. More sports tech companies could explore public listings in the second half of the year. "Some of the IPO ready sports tech companies are expected to explore IPO/SPAC listings."

☆ Fanatics Hires Google Executive to Lead Push Into Live-Streamed Shopping
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Fanatics sees the potential for success thanks in large part to its internal database of some 90 million sports fans, said Mr. Bell. It will host video events led by digital content creators and influencers who focus on trading cards. Much of the initial content will focus on “breaking,” in which creators will open new boxes of trading cards live on camera and sell them to followers. Viewers will be able to buy cards directly from Fanatics’ app or website, with the company taking a portion of that sale, said Mr. Bell. Fanatics’ valuation reached $31 billion in December after a $700 million fundraising round led by private-equity firm Clearlake Capital Group LP.

☆ Fanatics to start livestreamed shopping of trading cards, collectibles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Washington Post | Getty ImagesFanatics is moving into livestreamed shopping around collectibles and trading cards, hiring a former Snap and Alphabet executive to launch its new business later this year. Fanatics Live, which will have a standalone app and a coinciding website, plans to launch in the second half of 2023. Only 31% of U.S. adults have even heard of live shopping, with just 22% saying they've participated in a live shopping event, according to a December poll by Morning Consult. Ebay, which said it saw trading card sales increase 142% in 2020, acquired trading card marketplace TCGPlayer for $295 million in August. While Fanatics Live could move into other forms of entertainment and collectibles over time, it will solely focus on trading cards initially.

Fanatics is in discussions to acquire the BetParx sportsbook, as the sports merchandising company looks to take a bigger position in sports betting, according to people familiar with the matter. Representatives for Fanatics and BetParx declined to comment. Fanatics has been seeking a deal in the sports betting space for some time. The company is opening Fanatics Sportsbook at FedExField, the stadium of the NFL's Washington Commanders. Last year, Fanatics' billionaire executive chairman Michael Rubin sold his 10% stake in Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, allowing Fanatics to enter the gambling space.

☆ Fanatics is divesting its 60% stake in NFT company Candy Digital
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Michael Rubin's sports platform company Fanatics is divesting its 60% stake in NFT company Candy Digital, according to an internal email obtained by CNBC. Candy Digital was founded in June 2021 in the middle of the sports NFT boom, competing with companies like Dapper Labs in the digital sports collectible space. It also released digital collectibles with Netflix 's Stranger Things, WWE , and several Nascar teams. Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and NFL All Day digital trading platforms that ranked No. "Over the past year, it has become clear that NFTs are unlikely to be sustainable or profitable as a standalone business," Rubin wrote.

☆ Fanatics Hires CFO for Collectibles Business After Topps Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Fanatics said this week that Greg Abovsky started as chief financial officer for the collectibles business earlier this month. As CFO, Mr. Abovsky plans to build out the division’s finance team and its trading card business as it looks to expand. Fanatics plans to expand its portfolio into culture and entertainment cards, said Mike Mahan, chief executive officer of the collectibles business. Fanatics expects its collectibles business will fare well in the coming years, despite the threat of a potential downturn. Both Mr. Abovsky and Mr. Mahan declined to comment on if and when Fanatics could list on the public markets.

☆ Warren Buffett's favorite Christmas gifts for his family? $10,000 in cash, dresses, and boxes of See's Candies.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Warren Buffett has given dresses, chocolates, and stacks of cash to family members for Christmas. "I would go over and they'd wheel out the dresses," Buffett said. In 2013, the card showed Buffett dressed as Walter White from "Breaking Bad" with the message "Have yourself a Meth-y Little Christmas." In 2018, the card showed Buffett wearing a T-shirt reading "The Next Charlie Munger" with the caption "Aiming High in 2019." Read more: David Rubenstein sees Warren Buffett as the ultimate investor.

☆ Fanatics salaries: Pay data shows how much the merch giant offers for tech and other jobs, as it expands into sports collectibles, betting, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Colin Salao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Recent work-visa data shows how much the company offers to pay certain staffers. Salaries in the data ranged from $57,100 to $233,200 for mainly tech jobs in its retail division. It included base salaries for mainly tech jobs in the retail division, ranging from a data engineer position that would make $110,000 per year to a director of product management that would earn between $201,968 and $231,750 per year. For example, the data included a pay rate of $125,486 to $130,000 for an experimentation strategist position. Here were the salaries for jobs at Fanatics SPV:Director, Influencer Relations : $195,042 to $200,000: $195,042 to $200,000 Senior Platform Engineer: $144,726 to $165,000This story has been updated to reflect the latest available data.

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☆ Fanatics valuation hits $31 billion after $700 million investment round
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Rubin's sports platform company Fanatics has raised $700 million in fresh capital, pushing its value to $31 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. In March, the company raised $1.5 billion led by Fidelity and Blackrock and Michael Dell's MSD Partners. This summer, Fanatics ventured deeper into collegiate sports, signing a long-term deal with Nike to manufacture college sports fan apparel. Rubin now has his eyes on the sports gaming market. Revenue for Fanatics, including its Lids segment, will be approximately $8 billion in 2023, according to company estimates.

☆ Supreme Court takes up Jack Daniel's case against dog toy compamy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Colbi Edmonds | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Jack Daniel’s Whiskey has a bone to pick with a dog toy company, and the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear their case. VIP Products, an Arizona-based company, makes dog toys that resemble Jack Daniel's iconic whiskey bottles. Jack Daniel’s is arguing that the toys are a violation of federal trademark rights and tarnish the company’s brand. "VIP has never sold whiskey or other comestibles, nor has it used “Jack Daniel’s” in any way (humorously or not). The high court will likely hear arguments in the Jack Daniel's case early next year.

☆ Read the 11-page pitch deck a sports-betting startup that has raised $100 million used to get the NFL Players Association to invest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Colin Salao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mojo is an app that lets users bet on an NFL player's performance like it's a stock. See the pitch deck that helped get the NFL Players Association to invest. It also announced in September an additional $25 million in equity and venture debt, with big-name investors including the NFL Players Association. MojoMojo isn't the first startup to bring elements of the stock market to gambling, as the US market grows. "Mojo's sports stock market is really the first of its kind, and we're incredibly excited to join as an investor," Steve Scebelo, president of NFL Players, Inc., said in a statement.

☆ LeBron James, Kevin Durant and other big names invest in Fanatics lifestyle brand Mitchell & Ness
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment are investing in Fanatics' lifestyle clothing brand, Mitchell & Ness. The new owners said they plan to make Mitchell & Ness "the most diverse and culturally relevant consumer brand" through their influence and status as tastemakers. Mitchell & Ness is a true classic," he said in February. "I'm proud to play a small role in bringing it back, and in some cases, introducing the authenticity and quality of the Mitchell & Ness brand to a new generation," he added. In June, Mitchell & Ness signed a rights deal to manufacture products for all 32 NHL teams.

☆ Fanatics Hires Finance Chief for Its Sports-Betting Division Ahead of Planned Launch
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Sports-merchandising company Fanatics Inc. has picked a finance chief for its sports-betting and gambling division ahead of its planned launch early next year. Ms. Ellis will report to Matt King, the division’s chief executive. Mr. King joined Fanatics last year from rival FanDuel Group, where he was CEO. Photo: FanaticsAs CFO of the sports-betting unit, Ms. Ellis will be responsible for helping the business get off the ground. Fanatics declined to share financial forecasts for its sports-betting division, which doesn’t currently generate revenue.

☆ Fanatics is staffing up as it expands into collectibles, sports betting, and more. Pay data reveals how much the merch giant offers for dozens of tech and data jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Colin Salao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Sports-merch giant Fanatics is expanding into collectibles, sports betting, and other areas. Salaries in the data ranged from $57,000 to $233,200 for mainly tech jobs in its retail division. Fanatics is also sleeping giant in the sports-betting industry, with the potential to combine collectibles, NFTs, and gambling into one platform. Still, the data offer insight into certain salary levels across the company, which ranged from $57,138 to $233,200 per year. For example, the data included a pay rate of $125,486 to $130,000 for an experimentation strategist position.

Organizations: & $, & $

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