Why is it only for comic book lovers to enjoy?
The first-ever Fanatics Festival, a massive event billed as the “Comic-Con of sports,” will be held this weekend, August 16-18, at the Javits Center.
Over the three days, fans will have the opportunity to meet and get autographs from top athletes including Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Kevin Durant and Derek Jeter, participate in dozens of panels and purchase tons of merchandise to support their favorite teams.
“I walked into Comic-Con and thought, wow, 250,000 people are in costume,” Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, the $31 billion sports goods and collectibles giant behind the event, told The Washington Post.
“I thought, ‘How can I do this with sports?'” he continued. “I called the people who run New York Comic-Con and asked them if they would do a Fanatics Festival for me.”
Rubin eventually convinced Lance Fensterman, president of Reed Pop, which produces major events like Comic-Con, to work for him and run Fanatics events.
“I want to create the greatest sports gathering in the world,” Rubin told the Post.
About 50,000 sports fans are expected to attend this weekend’s big event, with tickets ranging in price from $50 to $8,990, with higher-priced passes offering perks like reserved seating, skip-the-line autograph sessions, special meet-and-greets with players and limited-edition trading cards.
However, there are attractive perks at every ticket level.
Stephen A. Smith will record the podcast, which will be broadcast live by ESPN and will feature every major sports commissioner, including the NBA’s Adam Silver and the NFL’s Roger Goodell, on various panels, as well as a variety of star athletes.
Fanatics-owned trading card giant Topps plans to release exclusive merchandise, including a special collection featuring rapper Travis Scott.
Fanatics is spending $10 million on various activations at the event, including a WWE Experience, which will allow fans to experience the excitement of a pro-wrestling entrance, and a “Kids Zone” where Tom Brady will pass footballs to young children.
Rubin has also recruited celebrities outside of the sports world, including TikTok user Alix Earle and performers Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.
Jay-Z plans to spend more than $3 million to recreate a three-day pop-up version of his 40/40 club at Javits, sources told The Post.
The 40/40 Club, created in honor of a group of elite baseball players who hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season, closed in Chelsea last year but is set to return to the city next year.
Rubin founded e-commerce and sporting goods retailer GSI Commerce in 2002, which merged with Fanatics in 2011. That same year, he sold part of his newly founded company to eBay for $2.4 billion but kept his stake in Fanatics.
The success of the privately held company has given Mr. Rubin, who also serves as chairman of online clothing boutique Lou La La and sits on the board of directors of Gilt Group, a company that sells clothing for $1.1 billion.
The 52-year-old is known as much for his social life as for his business acumen.
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His annual White Party, held at his waterfront home in Bridgehampton, is one of the most star-studded events of the summer, attracting athletes like Brady and Eli Manning, celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski, and business titans like Patriots owner Robert Kraft and William Morris Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
In New York, he hosts famous friends at his main residence, a spacious West Village penthouse near Fanatics’ 125,000-square-foot headquarters on Morton Street.
While the festival is a global event with dozens of teams participating, Rubin said it’s also an important event for local teams.
This story is part of “NYNext,” a new editorial series showcasing innovations and those leading the way across industries in New York City.
“New York is central to everything we do here,” he said. “We have a lot of New York elements: the Knicks, the Nets, the Giants, the Yankees, the Rangers, the Mets.”
He continued, “New York is the place to do this.”
Tickets are Visit FanaticsEvents.com.
