Michael Rubin was really hopeless.
Fanatics was founded by Fanatics Fest, The immersive sports festival, World of Legends, will run from August 16-18 at the Javits Center in New York City.
While his Fourth of July White Party in the Hamptons nearly became an internet sensation, Rubin was focused on his next big event, a collaboration with Fanatics CEO Lance Fensterman.
“You have to be realistic and maximize your relationships,” he said. “You can’t get away with this because there’s no other company out there that doesn’t have relationships with athletes across different industries and leagues.”
Rubin is known for his close friendships with NFL stars and athletes, including Tom Brady, Derek Jeter and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who all attended a Fourth of July party at his three-story mansion in the Hamptons.
Brady and Jeter are scheduled to attend FanaticsFest in New York. Sport, culture and collecting collide This spans multiple sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, UFC and WWE.
The three-day festival will feature dozens of professional athletes and celebrities, some of whom will take part in panel discussions, talks, activations and more.
JAY-Z’s iconic The 40/40 Club will be redesigned in partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook for an exclusive lounge experience that will be open to invitation-only guests, including athletes, celebrities and Fanatics Sportsbook VIP customers attending Fanatics Fest NYC.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith will have a candid conversation with Brady, and David Ortiz and Derek Jeter will take to the stage for one-on-one discussions.
New York stars Eli Manning, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Henrik Lundqvist, Sabrina Ionescu, Carmelo Anthony, Pete Alonso, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte are among those confirmed to attend.
Just 14 months ago, Rubin had a vision for developing the most unique fan experience and asked Fensterman, who heads Fanatics events, to help bring Fanatics Fest to life.
“And we launched an event in partnership with WWE: the first-ever ‘WWE Worlds,’ a five-day fan festival surrounding WrestleMania in Philadelphia earlier this year. [April]”This is kind of the blueprint for how we do Fanatics Fest,” Fensterman explained to The Post.
“We had 50,000 people come to WWE,” Rubin said in a joint interview. “What would normally take six months, we did in about six weeks. This was in April.”
“Then we focused on putting together Fanatics Fest in New York. Normally this is a process that takes about a year, but we were so ambitious that we were trying to make it happen in about five months.”
“WWE Worlds” became the highest grossing and most attended fan event in WWE history.
WWE Superstars and legends Fanatics Fest will feature appearances by Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Hulk Hogan, Paul Heyman, Jey Uso, Charlotte Flair, Rey Mysterio Jr. and more, who will be available for photo ops and autograph signings.
Fensterman, who joined Fanatics Events at its launch in July 2023, has nearly 20 years of experience building the world’s leading live and digital pop culture events, including New York Comic Con, Complex Con and Star Wars Celebration.
Rubin said New York was the obvious choice for the first-ever Fanatics Fest, adding that there are many more special guests and announcements to come.
Mike Tyson is scheduled to appear at the event ahead of his rescheduled bout with Jake Paul on Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“At this point, I’d say we’ve put out 70 percent of what’s going on, but the other 30 percent is probably some of the sexiest 30 percent,” said Rubin, who will lead a conversation with rapper Travis Scott.
“We’ll have seven top musicians performing, we’ll have some music to bring you, so don’t be surprised if they take on skills challenges and some pretty crazy stuff happens over the weekend.”
“…You see big names like Ben Stiller and Spike Lee because people are excited about this. I still get calls every day. [from stars] “I’m like, ‘Hey, can I do this? How can I get involved?'”
In addition to New York-based athletes, the event will feature many of the biggest names in sports and culture, including Brady, two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant and his sports, media and entertainment brand Boardroom, and Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
Others expected to attend include Auston Matthews, Anthony Edwards, Reggie Jackson, Allen Iverson, Lawrence Taylor, Michael Vick, Jerry Rice, Paul Pierce, Jack Hughes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Quavo and Gary Vaynerchuk.
“70% of the people who came to the White Party [Fanatics Fest]”That’s what we expect,” Rubin said.
Fans attending Fanatics Fest NYC can meet their sports heroes in person, search for rare cards and memorabilia (at more than 300 hobby shops), pick up exclusive items, purchase limited edition merchandise and take part in interactive experiences such as the 40-Yard Dash, UFC Striking Challenge, MLB Home Run Derby, NHL Slap Shot Contest and Penalty Kick Challenge.
This includes brands such as Topps, Mitchell & Ness, Lids, PWCC, Fanatics Sportsbook and Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), with more to be added.
Fans can also expect major announcements, live podcasts and more to celebrate and elevate modern sports fandom in all its forms.
Tickets are on sale now http://www.fanaticsfest.com Prices range from $20 to $400. General admission adult tickets are $50 per day.
