Fanatics is getting into podcast sponsorship, a first for the company as it continues to expand its business in new directions.
The company is becoming the primary partner of The Pivot Podcast, an interview show hosted by a trio of former NFL players—Fred Taylor, Ryan Clark and Channing Crowder. Under the multiyear agreement, the many different Fanatics brands will have placement on the podcast, and the show will have access to Fanatics’ events (such as CEO Michael Rubin’s Super Bowl party) and its network of athletes. The partnership kicks off this week when the show drops an interview with Tom Brady, a frequent Fanatics collaborator.
Announced Tuesday, the partnership showcases much of Fanatics’ modern business ambitions. In the past few years Rubin has pushed the business in a number of new directions, with the ultimate goal of having his company serve as a one-stop shop for anything sports fans might want to buy. As the company expands, so too does the breadth of many of its partnerships. Four years ago, all Fanatics would have been able to offer The Pivot was its dominant sports apparel business; now there’s also a sportsbook, NFTs, a trading card empire, memorabilia, music apparel and a growing events vertical.
This deal is also a possible trial balloon for greater media or content aspirations, both within podcasting and further afield. The company last year launched Fanatics Live, an online shopping channel, but has so far steered clear of any larger move into media—despite Rubin’s stated desire to do so.
A Fanatics representative declined to comment on the terms, or about the company’s broader media ambitions.
Some of this deal will look like standard podcast sponsorship. For example, the hosts will incorporate betting segments that will utilize Fanatics Sportsbook odds, a fairly common integration for sports podcasts and their gambling sponsors. Fanatics’ core apparel business, its growing collectible empire and its trading card business will also be involved.
The less traditional parts of the deal cover the rest of the Fanatics ecosystem. The Pivot will have access to Fanatics events, including a physical presence at Fanatics Fest NYC, a three-day summer festival being held in August. The company will also help book guests for the show via its network of celebrity endorsers and partners.
Each new episode from The Pivot reaches about 3 million viewers, according to Fanatics. The show has amassed 154 million views in the past two years.
