Fanatics, a sports merchandising behemoth located in Jacksonville, Fla., stated today that the NFL was the “single biggest investor” in the company’s most recent round, a $1.5 billion investment at a record $27 billion valuation that purportedly completed last month. The purchase represented a 50% rise in value from Fanatics’ previous raising in August, when it was valued at $18 billion. The NFL reportedly committed $320 million to the round, but it wasn’t the only sports group engaged, according to the business.
Major League Baseball (MLB) and its owners, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), the National Hockey League, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai via his fund Blue Pool Capital, and the Qatar Investment Authority were among the other major investors in the round, according to Fanatics. With the current funding, leagues, players’ groups, and team owners now hold around 10% of the firm, which may be considered as a significant endorsement of the company and its path. BlackRock, Fidelity, and MSD Partners, as well as several current supporters, are among the institutional investors.
It is expected to generate $5 billion in sales this year, according to Fanatics. That’s up from $2.2 billion in sales in 2017, when SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund led a $1 billion fundraising round. It was worth $4.5 billion at the time. Last August, the firm stated that it will be expanding beyond its core business of assisting leagues and teams in selling licensed apparel and fan gear directly to customers by raising $325 million.
The renewed interest and investment, as well as Fanatics’ alignment with leagues and players associations, are all part of the firm’s mission to become a “global digital sports platform,” according to the company. While Fanatics’ commerce business remains its primary source of revenue for the time being, it has recently ventured into collectibles, purchasing Tops. Candy Digital, of which it has a controlling stake, has an NFT arm as well as a nascent betting and gaming sector. A spokeswoman remarked, “We’ve always thought of ourselves as a tech firm.” According to Crunchbase, Fanatics has raised a total of $4.2 billion in investment.
