Walmart, Fanatics launch sports retail platform
Walmart on Tuesday announced a deal with online retailer Fanatics to exclusively sell licensed sports apparel and merchandise through its online platform.
The retail giant’s online “Fan Shop by Fanatics” will sell hundreds of thousands of items featuring professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA and MLB, Walmart U.S. e-commerce general manager Eric O’Toole said in a blog post. The offerings will include products made by prominent brands such as Nike, Majestic and New Era.
"Today’s announcement of our partnership with Fanatics is part of this ongoing commitment to create unique, specialized experiences on Walmart.com that make it easier to find the items our customers (in this case, sports fans) are looking for,” O’Toole said.
Walmart’s deal with Fanatics is a “long-term partnership,” according to the blog post. The agreement’s financial terms were not disclosed.
Fanatics will sell a wide array of sports gear through Walmart’s platform, including jerseys, hats and tailgating items.
The deal comes as Amazon and Walmart compete for e-commerce revenue, with each company securing retail partnerships for their respective platforms. Amazon’s retail partners include Nike, Best Buy and Kohl’s, while Walmart has deals with Fanatics, Lord & Taylor and Advance Auto Parts.
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Fanatics has exclusive licensing deals with several pro sports leagues and operates online stores for the NFL, NBA and more. The company was recently announced as a retail partner on MLB’s uniform supply deal with Nike.