Fanatics to oversee Juventus merchandise and retail

Fanatics, the digital sports platform and provider of licensed sports merchandise, is expanding its reach in football, after signing a deal with Italian football club Juventus that covers e-commerce, retail, manufacturing and licensing.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but Fanatics will manage all aspects of Juventus’ merchandise offering worldwide.

In a statement, Fanatics said the new partnership was “one of the most comprehensive and ambitious club deals ever agreed in sports merchandising,” and will run until the end of the 2034/2035 season.

Fanatics will work alongside Juventus, known for its black and white striped jersey, to grow its brand and merchandise offering to fans across Italy and globally.

As part of the deal, Fanatics will become the master licensee for the Juventus merchandise portfolio and will operate the business from its Fanatics Italy headquarters.

Francesco Calvo, managing director of revenue and football development at Juventus, said: “The world of merchandising has undergone an incredible evolution over the last ten or so years thanks to the entry of a player like Fanatics, which has revolutionised the industry across the world.

“We are proud to join forces with a global leader like Fanatics for the development of such a strategic and fundamental part of our business. This partnership will allow us to get closer to our fans all over the world, thanks to global distribution and new investments that Fanatics will make in agreement with Juventus to develop our business to create a truly world class offering to our supporters.”

Fanatics has deals with more than 900 sporting organisations, teams and leagues around the world, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, International Olympic Committee and Formula One. It has more than 80 offices and facilities worldwide and operates more than 2,000 physical stores.

Stephen Dowling, president of international at Fanatics, added: “Juventus is one of the iconic clubs in world football. The club is recognised and supported across the globe, it leads the way both on and off the pitch, and we are honoured to be working with it to revolutionise the experience for its fans both in-store and online, through new product designs and better availability worldwide.

“This new partnership is one of the most ambitious we have ever agreed with an individual club, and it is testament to Juventus’ forward thinking and progressive mindset that we have agreed such a comprehensive and groundbreaking deal.”