Latest news with #TuckerKain
CNBC
12-08-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Fanatics wants to build a loyalty program for sports, rewarding fans with merchandise, tickets and experiences
Fanatics is launching a new loyalty program, reflecting its continued growth and reach in the sports business industry. 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.
Fashion United
23-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Fanatics enters Middle East, opens office in Qatar
US digital sports platform Fanatics has entered the Middle East, opening a new office in Doha, Qatar, which will serve as a 'hub for operations' in the region. The move comes on the back of the company signing a partnership with the State of Qatar in February, which included the country's sponsorship of Fanatics Fest. It builds on Fanatics' ongoing expansion into regions where it sees opportunities to partner with 'transformative global sports properties looking to grow their businesses'. Such efforts have been targeted towards Latin America, Italy and the UK over the past few years, the latter to soon house a Fanatics flagship store focused on trading cards. In a statement, Tucker Kain, chief strategy and growth officer at the company, said that as it expands its portfolio, it was 'crucial we identify emerging markets where there is a real opportunity to amplify the engagement and passion around sports and collecting'. 'We've researched and analysed the sports landscape across the Middle East for quite a while and are excited about what local Fanatics operations can bring to the region,' he added. Fanatics Fest, held between June 20 to 22 in New York City, doubled down on the company's commitment to live events while simultaneously serving as a means for Qatar to 'strengthen its alignment with the global sports community'. For the country's director of the government communications office, Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Fanatics' wider partnership positions the country 'at the forefront of the digital sports development globally'.
Fashion Network
22-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Fanatics expands into the Middle East
Sports platform Fanatics is set to expand into the Middle East with the opening of a new regional office in Doha, Qatar. The new Qatar office will serve as a hub for Fanatics' activities in the region. 'As we expand our portfolio of businesses and brands, it is crucial that we identify emerging markets where there is a real opportunity to amplify the engagement and passion around sports and collecting,' said Tucker Kain, chief strategy and growth officer. 'We've researched and analysed the sports landscape across the Middle East for quite a while and are excited about what a local Fanatics operation can bring to the region.' The expansion follows a strategic partnership signed earlier this year between Fanatics and the State of Qatar, which also included a premier sponsorship of Fanatics Fest, taking place this weekend in New York City. At Fanatics Fest, Visit Qatar will debut an invite-only lounge experience, throughout the weekend. The exclusive space will bring together corporate partners, C-suite executives, athletes, and celebrities. "The establishment of Fanatics' regional hub in Qatar demonstrates the confidence global industry leaders have in Qatar's business environment and our strategic location,' added Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, director of the government communications office in Qatar. 'As Fanatics establishes its regional operations in Qatar, we gain a world-class partner, create opportunities for local talent development and knowledge transfer, and position Qatar at the forefront of the digital sports development globally. This partnership will showcase Qatar's dynamic sports landscape and foster deeper connections between our region and the global sports industry."
Fashion Network
22-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Fanatics expands into the Middle East
Sports platform Fanatics is set to expand into the Middle East with the opening of a new regional office in Doha, Qatar. The new Qatar office will serve as a hub for Fanatics' activities in the region. 'As we expand our portfolio of businesses and brands, it is crucial that we identify emerging markets where there is a real opportunity to amplify the engagement and passion around sports and collecting,' said Tucker Kain, chief strategy and growth officer. 'We've researched and analysed the sports landscape across the Middle East for quite a while and are excited about what a local Fanatics operation can bring to the region.' The expansion follows a strategic partnership signed earlier this year between Fanatics and the State of Qatar, which also included a premier sponsorship of Fanatics Fest, taking place this weekend in New York City. At Fanatics Fest, Visit Qatar will debut an invite-only lounge experience, throughout the weekend. The exclusive space will bring together corporate partners, C-suite executives, athletes, and celebrities. "The establishment of Fanatics' regional hub in Qatar demonstrates the confidence global industry leaders have in Qatar's business environment and our strategic location,' added Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, director of the government communications office in Qatar. 'As Fanatics establishes its regional operations in Qatar, we gain a world-class partner, create opportunities for local talent development and knowledge transfer, and position Qatar at the forefront of the digital sports development globally. This partnership will showcase Qatar's dynamic sports landscape and foster deeper connections between our region and the global sports industry."
ILoveQatar.net
21-06-2025
- Business
- ILoveQatar.net
Fanatics, a global digital sports platform to open office in Qatar
Fanatics, a leading global digital sports platform, announced plans to further its strategic global growth and will enter the Middle East via a new office and operation in the State of Qatar. The move signals Fanatics' commitment to expand into regions where it can partner with transformative global sports properties looking to grow their businesses and reach fans across many parts of the sports landscape – including fan gear, collectables and live events. The new office in Doha will host members across the Fanatics enterprise and be a hub for operations in the region. This initiative builds on a landmark partnership signed between Fanatics and the State of Qatar in February, including a premier Fanatics Fest sponsorship. The highly anticipated event takes place from June 20-22 in New York City and establishes a new pathway for Qatar to strengthen its alignment with the global sports community. Tucker Kain, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Fanatics, said: 'As we expand our portfolio of businesses and brands, it is crucial that we identify emerging markets where there is a real opportunity to amplify the engagement and passion around sports and collecting. We've researched and analysed the sports landscape across the Middle East for quite a while and are excited about what a local Fanatics operation can bring to the region.' Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office in Qatar, said: 'The establishment of Fanatics' regional hub in Qatar demonstrates the confidence global industry leaders have in Qatar's business environment and our strategic location. As Fanatics establishes its regional operations in Qatar, we gain a world-class partner, create opportunities for local talent development and knowledge transfer and position Qatar at the forefront of the digital sports development globally. This partnership will showcase Qatar's dynamic sports landscape and foster deeper connections between our region and the global sports industry.' Starting tomorrow at Fanatics Fest, Visit Qatar will curate an exclusive, invite-only lounge experience for corporate partners, C-suite executives, and select athletes and celebrities to network and connect throughout the weekend. About Fanatics Fanatics is a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximise the presence and reach of our hundreds of sports partners worldwide by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectables, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hard goods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with over 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners; over 5,000 athlete and celebrity relationships and over 250 exclusive athlete partnerships; and over 2,000 retail locations, including our Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are dedicated to continuously enhancing the fan experience and delivering exceptional service to sports fans globally. The Government Communications Office was established in 2015 to serve as the strategic communications arm of the State of Qatar. It coordinates communications activities across government and public-sector institutions, showcasing the country's vision, initiatives and achievements in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
