On September 13, the Minnesota Wild announced that they would be partnering with Fanatics, an apparel and trading card company.
Fanatics already provides the product and distribution for the Wild’s NHL e-commerce shop. However, they will take over in-venue retail at the Xcel Energy Center. Previously, Wild employees did all the in-house retail. Fanatics will also design and distribute all the on-ice player uniforms and replicas for fans to purchase.
Michael Ruben founded the ever-expanding online and in-store sports apparel company in 1998. Originally GSI Commerce, the company started with sports e-commerce. Rubin sold the company to eBay in 2011, but Ruben later bought back the Fanatics part of the company.
Fanatics expanded into non-appointment sports merchandise by purchasing WinCraft, a Minnesota-based company, in 2020. A year later, Fanatics expanded into trading cards after buying manufacturing and distribution rights from the MLB, MLPBA, NBA, NBPA, and NFLPA.
In January 2022, they acquired Topps, a trading card company. In February, Fanatics bought the streetwear brand Mitchell & Ness. The sports conglomerate continued its expansion in 2023 when it outbid DraftKings to acquire Pointsbet. With this acquisition, Fanatics added sports betting and iGaming to their business.
Fanatics are no stranger to major league sports. The apparel company has partnered with hundreds of colleges and teams from every major American sports league, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS, as well as Formula 1 and the Australian Football League. In March 2023, Fanatics grew their partnership with the NHL after signing a 10-year deal, stating that they would be the official providers for on-ice uniforms starting with the 2024-2025 season.
Fanatics will take over this role from Adidas, which announced in 2022 that it would not renew its 7-year deal when it expired after the 2023-24 season. Fanatics will continue manufacturing the jerseys in the same Quebec factory as Adidias.
Adidas took over from Reebok in 2006, paying at least $70 million annually, compared to Reebok’s $35 million contract. The deal between Fanatics and the NHL was foreshadowed by a 20-year relationship between the two companies.
In 2005, when Fanatics was GSI Commerce, the company first partnered with the NHL to control its e-commerce. The partnership was hugely successful, and the NHL's online sales tripled. Fanatics would later manage several NHL team shops, create replica jerseys, and run retail for events such as the NHL All-Star Game and Winter Classic.
Fanatics also began operating the New York City NHL flagship retail store in 2021. Growing its partnership with Fanatics and streamlining its commerce was a sensible next step for the NHL, which made the transition easier for the Wild. Fanatics is already a trusted partner of many Minnesota professional sports teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota Vikings, and University of Minnesota Athletics.
In addition to outsourcing the merger and streamlining their retail, the NHL and Minnesota may be interested in Fanatics because of their community involvement. Both organizations are heavily involved in philanthropy.
The Wild has raised money for dozens of charities, including the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Make a Wish Minnesota, and DinoMights. Fanatics' history of philanthropy makes it an attractive partnership candidate for Minnesota. In 2020, Fanatics produced over a million masks and gowns for emergency personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, they raised $50 million for Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, and America’s Food Fund in the 2020 All-In Challenge. The All-In Challenge inspired celebrities to donate items to raise money and involved big names such as Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, and Robert Kraft.
While this partnership is ultimately a step forward for the Wild, it would be remiss not to discuss the controversy surrounding it. The biggest complaints about Fanatics have been their monopoly over the sports industry and lack of quality control despite their high price tags.
Previously, Minnesota fans could buy products through the NHL Wild website but could also go to the Xcel Energy Center and make a different selection. While this is a valid concern, Fanatics has many products, with over 70 different hats alone.
Specific complaints include misspelled names, incorrect numbers, and misplaced logos. A Jared Spurgeon jersey was misprinted to say “Spurgeno,” which the player jokingly signed with the misspelled name, as well as his actual signature.
While Fanatics has had issues, quality control can be difficult for any company operating at this level. The NHL and Wild’s priority in merchandising is successfully selling their product, and they are not afraid to change their provider. If Fanatics has issues with quality control and sales drop, the organizations will likely move on.
Hopefully, their use of the same manufacturing site as Adidas and the league’s high expectations of them will help Fanatics maintain quality for the NHL and the Wild going forward.
