Fanatics' Sports Comic-Con Features Brady, Jeter, Eli, and Peyton Manning

• The Javits Center in New York City will host Fanatics Fest NYC, featuring appearances by Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Eli and Peyton Manning, Kevin Durant, Sabrina Ionescu, and Hulk Hogan.
• WrestleMania was overseen by Fanatics Events, a company launched last July and run by a former Comic-Con executive, during its first large-scale activation last week.
• To increase revenue and enhance its commerce and merchandise, collectibles and trading cards, livestream shopping, and sports betting divisions, Fanatics aims to establish a new revenue stream centered around sports events.

Over the past 15 years, the New York Comic-Con has expanded from a comic book convention to a comprehensive celebration of pop culture, attracting over 200,000 attendees in 2019.

Fanatics plans to host a three-day event in New York City in August, with the goal of being the focal point of sports fandom, culture, and collecting.

Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events and former president of ReedPop, sees similarities between pop culture and sports fans. While events like New York Comic-Con have diversified to accommodate various fan groups, the sports industry is ripe for disruption.

"Fensterman stated that there are numerous collector shows and card shows across the U.S., which are great for collectors. Additionally, there are league- and team-sponsored fan fests that are specific to certain sports or teams. The goal is to combine the best aspects of all these events and incorporate culture and entertainment."

The three-day event, known as Fanatics Fest NYC, will take place at New York City's Javits Center, a massive expo center that has hosted numerous big conventions and events, including the New York Comic-Con and the New York International Auto Show. The event will feature multiple stages and theatres, interactive features and games, merchandise and trading card areas, and a museum display of rare cards and sports memorabilia. Some of the big sports names scheduled to appear include Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Eli and Peyton Manning, Kevin Durant, Sabrina Ionescu, and Hulk Hogan, according to Fensterman.

The event will not only focus on sports but also integrate entrepreneurs, entertainers, and cultural influencers into the programming, according to Fensterman. It will provide a platform to discuss how sports can inspire people. The event will feature exclusive apparel collaborations and a range of unique products from the hundreds of teams and leagues that are Fanatics partners, including nearly every U.S. professional sports entity such as the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, UFC, and WWE.

Fensterman stated that it is the moments that excite us that we cannot find anywhere else in the world of live sports events.

Fanatics Events, a new venture launched in July with talent management company IMG, hosted its first major event last week at WrestleMania in Philadelphia. The five-day festival, which ran alongside WWE's premier event, was the highest-grossing and most-attended fan event in WWE history, according to Fanatics.

The Fanatics Fest NYC will aid the Fanatics Events team in achieving their business objectives by enhancing other Fanatics vertical businesses and establishing a new enterprise centered on sports events.

The cost of tickets for the event will range from $20 to $400, with general admission adult tickets priced at $50 per day. Fensterman aims to attract between 50,000 and 100,000 fans for this first event, which could lead to the creation of smaller-scale events across the country. Additionally, the company plans to host events in international markets to help its league partners expand their fan bases abroad.

The new events will aid in promoting the company's other business lines, including commerce and merchandise, collectibles and trading cards, livestream shopping, and sports betting.

The three-time CNBC Disruptor 50 company, which ranked No. 21 in 2022 and has a more than $31 billion valuation, has evolved beyond its merchandise roots. Its quick ascension has put it on a path for a likely IPO, but it has also faced scrutiny due to its moves. The company has been incorrectly blamed for issues related to Major League Baseball jerseys this spring and is currently involved in a legal battle with DraftKings over its expansion into sports betting.