Fanatics entered a wide-ranging partnership across e-commerce, retail, manufacturing, and licensing with Italian pro soccer club Juventus.
Under the terms of the new partnership, which runs through the end of the 2024/25 season, Fanatics becomes the master licensee for the Juventus merchandise portfolio and will operate the business from its Fanatics headquarters in Italy.
With the announcement, Juventus’ revamped its website and will benefit from Fanatics’ product manufacturing and distribution, physical retail acumen and licensee network.
“The world of merchandising has undergone an incredible evolution over the last ten or so years thanks to the entry of a player like Fanatics, which has revolutionized the industry across the world,” said Francesco Calvo, managing director of revenue and football development at Juventus.
“We are proud to join forces with a global leader like Fanatics for the development of such a strategic and fundamental part of our business. This partnership will allow us to get closer to our fans all over the world, thanks to global distribution and new investments that Fanatics will make in agreement with Juventus to develop our business to create a truly world-class offering to our supporters,” Calvo continued.
“Juventus is one of the iconic clubs in world football,” said Stephen Dowling, president of International at Fanatics. “The club is recognized and supported across the globe; it leads the way both on and off the pitch, and we are honored to be working with it to revolutionize the experience for its fans both in-store and online, through new product designs and better availability worldwide.
“This new partnership is one of the most ambitious we have ever agreed with an individual club, and it is a testament to Juventus’ forward thinking and progressive mindset that we have agreed to such a comprehensive and groundbreaking deal,” concluded Dowling.
Lorenzo Forte, CEO of Fanatics Italy, said, “We understand the history and significance of Juventus to both Italian and global football, and the Fanatics team based here in Italy will work non-stop to make sure that Juventus fans, both in Turin but also across the world, are given a world-class service, world-class products and world-class experience when they visit us. Our knowledge and understanding of football here in Italy is unrivalled, and we can’t wait to begin our new partnership together with this historic club.”
Fanatics partners with over 900 sporting organizations, teams and leagues worldwide, including several European football clubs, UEFA, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, International Olympic Committee, and Formula One. The company has over 80 offices and facilities worldwide and a network of over 2,000 retail stores.
Image courtesy Fanatics (shown Francesco Calvo and Stephen Dowling)
