Fanatics strikes deal to sell US college merch internationally

Digital sports platform Fanatics has announced a long-term agreement with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) that will see it sell licensed fan merchandise from US colleges to international markets.

Beginning with an initial 15 US colleges, with more to be added over time, Fanatics will offer a range of official products to the UK and beyond, including lifestyle wear, hard goods and accessories.

As part of the deal, Fanatics is to manufacture, distribute and sell the apparel online, as well as making a full range of college apparel available to retail and media partners, such as Next and Sky Sports.

In a release, Matthew Primack, SVP, international business affairs and development at Fanatics, highlighted the company’s extensive retail expertise in this category, adding: “We are excited to announce this latest partnership with CLC, an industry leader in collegiate licensing and marketing, through the talented team at IMG, which will allow sports fans across the UK, and internationally to showcase their pride and passion for their college of choice.”

Fanatics has rapidly been expanding its network over the past year, establishing partnerships in new fields of the industry and snapping up brands that have helped it enter new markets, such as Latin America’s Fexpro.

Beginning in mid-2024, the company will also exclusively manufacture Nike apparel for a select group of colleges and universities in the US, further adding to its presence in the collegiate products space.