WWE and Fanatics have expanded their existing long-term sports and entertainment partnership, which will now see Fanatics assume operations of WWE’s global event merchandise business.
The deal will kick off on 1 May before WWE’s premium live event, Backlash.
Under the expanded partnership, Fanatics Commerce – the company’s e-commerce, licensed merchandise and physical retail operations division – will manage the on-site event retail experience for WWE’s annual calendar of 300-plus events including premium live events such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam.
Fanatics will work closely and collaboratively with teams at WWE which previously operated the event retail business in-house for decades to optimise the event shopping experience for its growing global fanbase. This includes curating an enhanced in-venue product offering with more localised merchandise collections, creating innovative event retail stores and experiences, as well as utilising Fanatics-operated team stores during various live events.
The expansion follows strong commercial results for WWE across its retail channels in 2022, including record-breaking demand for WWE merchandise. Fanatics became WWE’s global e-commerce partner in 2022, and the company saw record-breaking sales at WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Money In The Bank and SummerSlam among others.
“Fanatics has been an amazing partner and will immediately bolster WWE’s event retail business,” commented Alex Varga, svp head of corporate development at WWE. “Expanding our partnership will allow WWE to further expand our offering to fans and grow merchandise revenue in 2023 and beyond.”
In March 2022, WWE and Fanatics confirmed a long-term partnership that would utilise many parts of the Fanatics expanded digital sports platform to create a new, enhanced experience for WWE fans globally including e-commerce, licensed merchandise and memorabilia, plus physical and digital trading cards and collectables.
Molly Adams, chief strategic retail officer at Fanatics Commerce, continued: “The WWE has built one of the most incredible global events portfolios across sports and entertainment, and we’re honoured that they’ve tapped Fanatics to build on our overarching partnership together.
“Through our expansive global footprint and event retail operations expertise, Fanatics is uniquely positioned to provide an unrivalled event retail experience for WWE’s passionate fans at hundreds of events worldwide.”
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