Fanatics

Michael Rubin attends Fanatics Super Bowl Party on February 12, 2022 in Culver City, California.Shareif Ziyadat | Filmmagic | Getty ImagesBillionaire Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin announced Wednesday that he is selling his 10% stake in the parent company that owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, citing a conflict of interest with Fanatics' collectibles and planned sports betting operations.Rubin has no plans to buy into a different team after he sells his stake in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, a…

This poster by artist Gabz is an award card coming soon to Star Wars Card Trader by Topps.Image: Gabz/Bottleneck/LucasfilmBefore you ever heard of NFTs, maybe you heard about the $225 jpeg of Han Solo. Back in 2015, I wrote an article about a Han Solo card worth over $200 in an app called Star Wars Card Trader by Topps. At the time, I spent most of the article explaining how a person could own something that they merely have on their phone. It was not easy.01:57Rainn Wilson’s First Fandoms: Star Trek And D&DYesterday…

Dick Clark Productions CEO Mike Mahan (R) and guest attend the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Jeff Kravitz | Filmmagic, Inc | Getty ImagesSports platform Fanatics said Thursday that it has tapped former Dick Clark Productions CEO Mike Mahan to lead its trading cards and digital collectibles business.Fanatics Collectibles, which launched in 2021, includes its NFT arm Candy Digital, sports trading card brand Topps, and zerocool — a trading cards brand solely…

Fanatics display at the All-Star Players House Presented by MLBPA located at the Corner Alley Bar & Grill on July 07, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio.Duane Prokop | Getty ImagesTopps is launching a line of trading cards featuring college athletes this fall, in a deal that parent company Fanatics said will cut some players in on the profits and pair them up with school logos on cards for the first time.Fanatics, which sells sports apparel and acquired Topps earlier this year, said the program will include more than 150 schools…

Founder: Michael Rubin (CEO)Launched: 2011Headquarters: Jacksonville, FloridaFunding: $4.2 billionValuation: $27 billionKey technologies: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, machine learningIndustry: RetailPrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 2 (No. 25 in 2019)Fanatics has established itself as the leader for sports merchandise and commerce, with exclusive licensing deals ranging from the NFL and NBA to the International Olympic Committee.Now it's looking to expand its sports industry reach even further,…