Lafayette Hill native Michael Rubin says the future of sports fandom runs through Fanatics, writes Erich Richter for The New York Post.
The CEO recently detailed how his company has grown into a dominant force in jerseys, trading cards, and sports betting, with even bigger ambitions ahead.
Fanatics now holds jersey deals across the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. It acquired Topps trading cards, cementing its position in the collectibles market. Rubin said the company’s original goal was to dramatically expand the number of sports card collectors, and believes Fanatics has already multiplied that base several times over in just four years.
Athletes remain central to the strategy. Rubin said Fanatics works directly with roughly 5,000 athletes and recently enlisted 160 players for a nationwide “Topps Rip Night” event. He emphasized personal relationships as key to building what he calls the “Fanatics ecosystem.”
That ecosystem now includes Fanatics Sportsbook. Rubin said the company already controls roughly 7-8% of the sports betting market with plans to distribute $1 billion in FanCash this year.
Despite speculation about further acquisitions, Rubin says growth will be organic moving forward.
For a Montco entrepreneur who started with a small ski repair company, the global stage keeps getting bigger.
To learn more about Rubin’s growing Fanatics empire, visit The New York Post.
