Fanatics wants to build a loyalty program for sports, rewarding fans with merchandise, tickets and experiences
The program, called Fanatics ONE, will offer members points for purchases across the company's various businesses, which now include its sports merchandise business, collectibles, and trading cards, as well as casino and sportsbook operations. Members will gain access to things like free shipping and giveaways and will be able to redeem their points on everything from apparel and merchandise to exclusive experiences and game tickets.
Tucker Kain, Fanatics' chief strategy and growth officer, said this new loyalty program highlights the company's expansion beyond merchandise, and "the opportunity to bring [it] together from a consumer and experience perspective."
Kain said that Fanatics has roughly 10 million people already in its FanCash program, which it previously rewarded to customers who bought merchandise through its ecommerce platform and its app.
Fanatics has a vision of building FanCash into "the currency of sport," Kain said, where fans will be able to acquire not just a new jersey or hat, but tickets, athlete meet-and-greets, access to Super Bowl parties, or Fanatics Fest, the company's effort to build a Comic-Con-like event for sports that recently held its second edition.
"These are things that sports fans really value and get excited about, and I think our platform is uniquely positioned to do that," Kain said.
Part of that speaks to the depth of Fanatics' relationships across the sports industry that it has forged since Michael Rubin founded the company, a three-time CNBC Disruptor 50 company, in 2011. The company has partnerships with nearly every major sports league, including many that hold equity stakes in Fanatics like the NFL, MLB and NHL. It has also struck additional relationships with superstar athletes like LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani.
It also speaks to the company's growth as it has expanded beyond merchandise into trading cards, collectibles and sports betting, with Fanatics earning more than $8 billion in revenue in 2024.
Still, the bulk of the company's revenue comes from its core merchandise business, and this new loyalty program will look to expose more sports gear shoppers to what Fanatics has been doing in collectibles and betting.
Kain said Fanatics is "starting to see the number of cross-platform users scale pretty dramatically," adding that "what we see is that customers that engage in all three are a much more valuable opportunity for us."
"I think the power of the platform unlocks here, versus any individual business operating in a silo," he said.
From retail and fast food to hotels and airlines, many industries leverage loyalty programs to boost business and shift consumer actions while also rewarding consistent customers with bonuses and one-of-a-kind rewards.
But unlike some of those other industries, sports have little of those. While season ticket holders may receive certain discounts or invites to exclusive events, there are no league-wide or sport-specific programs. And there's certainly no cross-sport platform as big as Fanatics.
"There has never been a loyalty program that spans sports and fandom," Kain said. "All of us have a different kind of fandom, different passions, different teams and athletes we like, so a program that threads those experiences can separate itself really meaningfully from other great loyalty programs."
Kain said Fanatics is already thinking about ways to further expand the program even as it only launches on Tuesday, whether that's creating new and exclusive rewards to the potential for a Fanatics-branded credit card or partnerships with teams and leagues around the loyalty program.
"We get excited about the potential to deepen those relationships and ultimately enhance the fan experience across all sports and every kind of fandom," Kain said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
a few seconds ago
- NBC Sports
Rookie TE Warren will 'get the ball' with Colts
The Fantasy Football Happy Hour crew highlight two sleepers from the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, discussing why Colts TE Tyler Warren and Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka each have a chance to be fantasy darlings.
NBC Sports
a few seconds ago
- NBC Sports
Tom Brady had "growing pains" during his first year in the booth
Tom Brady made his debut last year in the Fox booth, amid considerable fanfare and unreasonable expectations. He failed to meet the high bar his employer had set for him. Appearing recently on The Joel Klatt Show, Brady reflected on his first season in broadcasting. 'For me, I was, like, really going into the year and I thought I was prepared because I had done a lot of research and I had a year to kinda prepare and a lot of practice games, but there was absolutely nothing that I did that could have prepared me for what I was about to endure,' Brady said, via Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports. 'There was a lot of growing pains through the year for me just in terms of prep and then obviously going on air. And there's things you messed up. And there's things [where] you make mistakes. 'And [it's] probably a lot like being an NFL quarterback. You think, 'Hey, I'm prepared and I got it and I practiced.' And then you go in the real game your rookie year and you're like, 'Oh my god, it's a lot different. It's a lot faster. Where are my eyes? What am I doing?' And then it gets a little better in Week 2 and a little better in Week 3 and then sometimes you regress a little bit. 'By the time I got to the Super Bowl, I was way more comfortable. It was just a really rewarding year. And it wasn't perfect by any means and I certainly didn't expect it to be perfect. But [I'm] just excited about now going into Year 2 with one year under my belt.' It's a fair characterization of the adjustment he's still making. Which is why Brady perhaps should have spent a year or so with a lower profile. The problem, however, is that Fox pays Brady $37.5 million per year. He was hired to be the No. 1 NFL analyst, and he was marketed accordingly. If he succeeded, he was supposed to. If he failed (and, relative to the hoopla, he did), he'd face criticism and scrutiny. It created a no-win situation for Brady. Except, of course, when it was time to collect his paychecks.
Associated Press
a few seconds ago
- Associated Press
Jets' Sauce Gardner sits out practice with sore calf, status for preseason game vs. Giants uncertain
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner sat out the team's joint practice with the Giants on Wednesday because of a sore calf. Gardner participated in practice Tuesday at the Jets' facility in Florham Park but wasn't spotted during the teams' session at the Giants' facility Wednesday. 'Sauce wasn't out (there) today,' coach Aaron Glenn said after practice. 'He had some calf soreness. We'll continue to evaluate him and see exactly where he's at.' Gardner has been one of the Jets' best players since being drafted fourth overall out of Cincinnati in 2022. He was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and was an All-Pro selection in his first two NFL seasons. The 24-year-old Gardner had a slightly off season, by his standards, last year but is still considered one of the league's elite cornerbacks. Gardner signed a four-year, $120.4 million extension through the 2030 season, making him the NFL's highest-paid player at his position. He also is the focal point of a new-look secondary for the Jets, who have Gardner and free-agent signing Brandon Stephens at cornerback, with Michael Carter as the nickelback and free-agent signing Andre Cisco and Tony Adams at safety. The Jets don't have another full practice before their preseason game against the Giants on Saturday night. Glenn declined to say whether he would play his starters in that game — 'The plan is the plan,' is all he would divulge — so it's unclear if Gardner would participate even if healthy. Typically, teams play their starters for a quarter or a half in the second game, using it as a warmup for the regular season while backups typically play the final preseason game. Rookie quarterback Brady Cook, an undrafted free agent out of Missouri, was back on the field after leaving practice Tuesday with an ankle injury after someone stepped on his foot. He didn't participate in team drills. 'Held him out, but I anticipate him playing this week,' Glenn said. 'So that's good.' Cook is one of just three healthy quarterbacks on the Jets' roster, with starter Justin Fields and Adrian Martinez. Glenn announced Tuesday that veteran backup Tyrod Taylor had arthroscopic knee surgery and wouldn't play the rest of the preseason. ___ AP NFL:
