Fanatics reached a long-term agreement to become Tepper Sports & Entertainment’s (TSE) official omnichannel retail partner. Under the new deal, Fanatics will operate both the e-commerce and physical retail experiences at Bank of America Stadium for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and Charlotte’s new MLS expansion franchise.
The team’s online and mobile shopping platforms will be supported by Fanatics Cloud Commerce Platform (CCP), creating a seamless experience for fans shopping on a desktop or their mobile devices and will feature larger, hi-resolution product displays and frictionless checkout.
The new Panthers online store, shop.panthers.com, is currently live, while e-commerce for TSE’s new MLS expansion team will fall under Fanatics operation of MLSShop.com and all of the league’s online team shops.
“We are thrilled to partner with Fanatics to provide a seamless retail experience and a wider variety of products for fans of both the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte MLS franchises,” said Mark Hart, vice president & chief operating officer of Tepper Sports & Entertainment. “Fanatics’ experience in the NFL and MLS provides good synergy across the Tepper Sports & Entertainment platforms and is yet another best-in-class partner for TSE and Bank of America Stadium.”
Fanatics will also oversee operations of all in-venue retail locations throughout Bank of America Stadium for both the Panthers and Charlotte’s expansion MLS team including the official team store, kiosks and additional concourse shops.
“Fanatics is proud to partner with David Tepper and his talented management team, who have a bold, progressive vision for both the Panthers and their new MLS franchise,” said Gary Gertzog, Fanatics president of business affairs. “We see an incredible opportunity to significantly elevate the entire end-to-end retail experience for fans through our connected, tech-infused e-commerce and physical retail offerings, which will be on full display regardless of shopping online, on your phone or at the game.”
Fanatics is the official e-commerce partner of both the NFL and MLS. The Panthers become Fanatics’ 25th NFL partner, nine of which are omnichannel deals, while Carolina’s new MLS team will mark the company’s 14th MLS omnichannel partner upon the brand’s launch on July 22.
