The expanded and extended partnership, encompassing both UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will see Fanatics retain exclusive global e-commerce rights with the DFB and run the official DFB-Fanshop as well as running DFB on-site retail during home games and DFB cup finals.
In addition, building upon the previous arrangement, Fanatics now has the rights to manufacture, distribute and, where desirable, license to third parties an expanded range of DFB-branded fan merchandise across a broad range of product categories, such as headwear, retro fanwear, hard goods, homeware, consumer electronics, stationary and more.
The expanded partnership follows strong commercial results for the DFB across its retail channels in 2022, including record-breaking demand for DFB merchandise. On November 27, 2022, Fanatics confirmed its most popular day ever for DFB merchandise across its network, beating its previous daily record by 77 percent.
“We are very pleased to extend and expand our successful partnership with Fanatics, and to leverage their global partner network to jointly offer an even wider range of merchandise products to our fans in the DFB Fan Shop and in retail,” says Dr. Holger Blask, Managing Director Marketing, Sales & Events at DFB GmbH & Co.KG. “Together with Fanatics, we will continuously work to further improve the service for our fans.”
Since opening its Hamburg office in 2018, Fanatics has partnered with a number of prominent sports and retail organizations across the nation, such as leading sporting goods retailer SportScheck, providing sports fans across Germany with access to the widest range of licensed sports merchandise available in the country.
Matthew Primack, Senior Vice-President, International Business Affairs & Development at Fanatics, also commented: “We are thrilled to confirm this renewal of our deep and trusted relationship with the DFB, to double down on our ongoing commitment to both the DFB and our growing presence in Germany more widely. Over the coming years, our ambition is to continue to work closely with the DFB to enhance and enlarge their brand at retail and within consumer product segments, to go above and beyond our current remit of operating retail and merchandise channels, to drive ever-greater success for the organisation and to reach German fans everywhere.”
Fanatics partners with more than 900 of the largest sporting organizations, teams and leagues in the world including Bayern Munich, the German Olympic Team, Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, The FA, UEFA, NFL, NBA and Formula 1.
