Fanatics, the global sports merchandising and e-commerce giant, has announced a new long-term operational partnership with Italian soccer giants Juventus.
The ecommerce business becomes the master licensee for the Serie A club’s entire set of merchandising rights through to the end of the 2034-35 season.
Fanatics will provide e-commerce, manufacturing, and in-person retailing services to the Italian club through the wide-ranging partnership in what it calls one of the “most comprehensive” club sports merchandising tie-ups “ever."
Speaking on the new partnership, Juventus managing director of revenue and football development Francesco Calvo stated: “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 operates a headquarters in Milan, not far away from Turin, where Juventus play.
The headquarters, from which the partnership will be managed, encompasses a commerce office, a collectibles office, and a commerce warehouse, ensuring direct coverage of Italy and the wider European region.
Through the partnership, Juventus aims to expand its business profile worldwide by utilizing Fanatics’ global ecommerce network which has seen it become a dominant player in global sports merchandising, including a significant presence in soccer.
In May, Fanatics struck a major blow to rival collectibles brand Panni by securing the licensing rights to English soccer’s top-tier Premier League in a multi-year wide-ranging deal securing its future association with European soccer’s most popular properties.
Fanatics is already a partner of Juventus’ Italian rivals AC Milan, having partnered with that club in April 2023, although that deal is for a likely shorter term and strictly covers ecommerce.
