The Australian Football League (AFL) and Fanatics have revealed an exclusive 10-year retail and merchandising partnership, which will aim to revolutionise the fan experience for Australian rules football’s premier competitions.
The deal will offer AFL fans around the world the largest assortment of officially licensed AFL merchandise ever made available, including an extensive range of AFL and AFLW product such as replica football uniforms, training and lifestyle wear.
As part of the partnership Fanatics also has exclusive master licence rights to manufacture, market and sell official AFL supporter apparel and accessories, including fan fashion apparel, knitwear and bags.
AFL fans will also have access to new designs and brands, including for the first time ever, an exclusive AFL line from iconic sportswear and culture brand Mitchell and Ness.
The partnership – which is Fanatics’ first with an Australian sporting league – marks a major step forward in the company’s continued strategic expansion across Australia and New Zealand.
Over the course of the partnership, the AFL’s official e-commerce and AFL-branded retail store rights will transition to Fanatics.
“Fanatics has partnered with a number of elite sporting codes across the world and the AFL is proud to be the first Australian sports league to partner with Fanatics, a global leader in licensed merchandise to enhance the retail shopping experience for our fans over the next 10 years,” commented Kylie Rogers, AFL executive general manager customer and commercial. “With access to Fanatics’ unparalleled global partner network, infrastructure and unrivalled technology, we are looking forward to rolling out a fresh retail offering, both online and in-person, ensuring we continue to meet and exceed the demands of the AFL’s loyal fanbase, no matter where they are or how they prefer to shop.”
Commenting on Fanatics’ first major deal with a sporting league in Australia, Matthew Primack, svp business affairs and development at Fanatics, added: “Australian fans are famously passionate about sport, and we believe that historically they have been underserved relative to other markets when it comes to the merchandise made available, the distribution of that merchandise and the freshness of the product.
“We’re excited and grateful for the opportunity with the AFL, and we are also very excited to see what we can do holistically across all sports in the region and beyond merchandise with the AFL. The Australian fans will have more access to more relevant products as we continue to grow our presence in this sport mad country.”
Zohar Ravid, svp head of global corporate development at Fanatics, continued: “This deal marks a pivotal moment in our exciting plans for sports fans across Australia and New Zealand. The AFL is one of the largest and most iconic names in Australia, as well as in global sport more widely and we are immensely excited to begin what will be a hugely beneficial partnership for all parties – most notably the AFL’s passionate fanbase, who will enjoy major leaps forward in their shopping, merchandise and overall fan experience with the AFL for years to come.”
(Pictured above: Zohar Ravid, Fanatics’ svp and head of global corporate development, and Kylie Rogers, the AFL’s executive gm of customer and commercial.)
Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow @LicensingSource on Twitter and @licensing_source on Instagram.
