Fanatics Seals College Licensing Agreement with Nike

Manufacturer and retailer of licensed sports gear company Fanatics is growing its collaboration with athletic apparel retail giant Nike to produce college sports attire in addition to its line of pro team clothing and accessories.

Fanatics is pushing to become a major player in college sports apparel similar to the reach it has with fan-facing gear for professional sports teams. Kicking off in the middle of 2024, Fanatics will manufacture the majority of Nike fan apparel for many of the NCAA’s biggest brands, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday (July 13).

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Fanatics and Nike already have a similar deal in place for the production of NFL and MLB gear, with Nike handling on-field products and Fanatics manufacturing fan-facing apparel and accessories. Nike is currently manufacturing most of the college sports-branded items that it sells in-house, according to reports.

The new collaboration gives Nike a reprieve from the financial and other complex details surrounding the production of its college products. The new deal gives Nike a chance to focus on marketing and developing its on-field lines while also providing retailers with a one-stop source for MLB, NFL and college products.

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“Our team is excited to maximize the value of Nike’s college partnerships by creating faster speed-to-market of fan gear through our agile supply chain, resulting in an expanded assortment of both timeless and on-trend Nike-branded merchandise for college fans and retailers everywhere,” Doug Mack, CEO of Fanatics Commerce and vice chairman of Fanatics Holdings, said in a statement, according to Sportico.

Nike told CNBC that the company is expanding its licensing partnerships with both Fanatics and collegiate partner Branded Custom Sportswear to include Nike NCAA retail fanwear and sideline products. The strategic move is a change in how it works with its NCAA university partners.

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