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The WWE might be fake, but the dollars behind it are very real.
Fanatics and the WWE have expanded their partnership. Starting in May, Fanatics will operate physical merchandise stands at 300+ WWE events annually.
In March 2022, the two inked a long-term deal that would utilize Fanatics’s e-commerce platform to introduce new offerings for WWE fans, such as licensed merch, physical and digital trading cards, and collectibles.
Fanatics will work with the WWE teams that previously operated its event retail business to bolster in-venue product offerings with localized merch collections.
- “Expanding our partnership will allow WWE to further expand our offering to fans and grow merchandise revenue in 2023 and beyond,” Alex Varga, WWE SVP and head of corporate development, said in a statement.
Money in the bank: Last year was big for the WWE, which earned a record $1.3 billion in revenue, an 18% increase YoY. In its annual report, WWE lauded its Fanatics partnership, which had already yielded year-over-year increases in its e-commerce and merchandise businesses.
- The expanded partnership comes right after WWE agreed to a merger with the UFC, a deal which valued the company at $9.3 billion.
Fanfare: It’s a major get for Fanatics, which already has physical retail partnerships with 50+ “professional and collegiate teams across several sports.”
- Last year, the company inked a NCAA gear distribution deal with Nike that’s expected to start manufacturing in 2024.
Fanatics also has partnerships with the NFL and MLB to manufacture Nike-branded retail apparel, dating back to 2018 and 2019, respectively.