Fanatics, an online manufacturer and sports platform that has deals with leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and MLS to sell jerseys and fan apparel, acquired Italian sports merchandise Epi company on April 5. According to CNBC News, Fanatics did not share a value for the deal.
The online sports platform is also a retailer of sports collectibles, NFTs, trading cards, sports betting, and IGmaming. EPI, a Milan-based company that will be rebranded Fanatics Italy following the deal, operates in-venue, physical retail stores, and the ecommerce for several of Italy’s Serie A soccer clubs, according to CNBC News. The Italian Football Federation, which oversees the Italian national team, as well as clubs like AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus, are operated by EPI. "Serie A has so many successful teams that I think are essential to have as part of a global partner roster," said Doug Mack, chief executive of Fanatics Commerce and vice-chairman of Fanatics, according to Reuters.
Fanatics will also be taking over the management of in-stadium stores for teams AC Milan, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and Bologna. The deal comes on the heels of a resurgence of Italian soccer, as teams like Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Napoli are all in the Champions League quarter-finals, the first time since 2005, according to Reuters, that three Italian clubs simultaneously made it that far.
“Sports teams and leagues want a global strategy, and we’re architecting Fanatics to be able to sort out their e-commerce capabilities and physical merchandising capabilities in Europe, China, and other parts of the world,” said Mack, according to CNBC News. “On the other side of that, three Italian clubs are in the Champions League quarter-finals, and as they make progress and get more fans, we can help take them beyond the bounds of their traditional fan base.”
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.