Why should comic book enthusiasts have all the fun?
The first-ever Fanatics Festival – a major event touted as the “Comic Con of sports” – takes place this weekend, August 16-18, at the Javits Center.
Over three days, fans can meet and get autographs from top athletes like Peyton and Eli Manning, Kevin Durant and Derek Jeter, attend dozens of panels and purchase tons of merchandise to cheer on their favorite teams.
“I went to Comic Con … and thought, this is insane … there are a quarter of a million people in costumes,” Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, the $31 billion sporting goods and collectibles giant behind the event, told the Post.
“I thought, ‘How do we do this for sports?'” he continued. “I literally called the guy who ran Comic Con in New York and told him to put on a Fanatics Festival for me.”
Rubin eventually convinced Lance Fensterman, president of Reed Pop – which produces major events like Comic Con – to come work for him and manage Fanatics Events.
“I want to create the best sporting event in the world,” Rubin told the Post.
Around 50,000 sports fans are expected to attend the big event this weekend. Ticket prices range from $50 to $8,990, with the more expensive passes including reserved seating, the opportunity to skip the line for autographs, exclusive meet-and-greets with athletes and limited edition trading cards.
But there are exciting offers for all ticket levels.
Stephen A. Smith will record a podcast, ESPN will broadcast live, and all major sports commissioners, including Adam Silver of the NBA and Roger Goodell of the NFL, will participate in various panel discussions, as will various star athletes.
Fanatics-owned trading card giant Topps is launching exclusive products, including a special collection from rapper Travis Scott.
Fanatics is spending $10 million on a variety of activities at the event, including a WWE Experience where fans can experience the thrill of a professional wrestler’s performance and a “kids’ zone” where Tom Brady will throw footballs to little ones.
Rubin has also brought in celebrities outside of sports, such as TikToker Alix Earle and artists Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.
A source told the Washington Post that Jay-Z is spending more than $3 million to recreate a pop-up showcase of his 40/40 Club at the Javits Center for just three days.
The 40/40 Club – a reference to an elite group of baseball players who have hit 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season – closed in Chelsea last year but will return to the city next year.
Rubin founded e-commerce and sports merchandising company GSI Commerce in 2002, which merged with Fanatics in 2011. That same year, he sold part of the newly formed company to eBay for $2.4 billion, but retained ownership of Fanatics.
The success of the private company has helped Rubin earn an estimated net worth of $11 billion. He is also chairman of the board of directors of online fashion boutique Rue La La and a member of the board of directors of Gilt Group.
The 52-year-old is known for both his social life and his business acumen.
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The annual White Party at his beachfront home in Bridgehampton is one of the most star-studded events of the summer, bringing together athletes like Brady and Eli Manning with celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajakowski and business magnates like Patriot owner Robert Kraft and William Morris Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
In the city, he entertains his famous friends at his primary residence, a sprawling West Village penthouse near Fanatics’ 120,000-square-foot headquarters on Morton Street.
While the festival is a global event with dozens of teams represented, Rubin said it is also about the home teams.
This story is part of NYNext, a new editorial series highlighting cross-industry innovations in New York City and the individuals leading them.
“New York is at the heart of everything we do here,” he said. “We have so many NYC elements – the Knicks, Nets, Giants, Yankees, Rangers and Mets are central to that.”
He continued: “New York is the right place for this.”
Tickets at FanaticsEvents.com.
