- First-of-its-kind deal will encompass many parts of Fanatics’
expanded digital sports platform
- WWE to create an amplified sports and entertainment experience
for its growing global fanbase
WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and Fanatics today announced a comprehensive,
long-term sports and entertainment partnership that will see
Fanatics utilize its expanded digital sports platform to create a
new, enhanced experience for WWE fans globally across several
businesses, including e-commerce and licensed merchandise, as well
as physical, digital, and non-fungible token (NFT) trading cards.
Through the ground-breaking deal, WWE will benefit from many
capabilities across the Fanatics platform to create more
opportunities for its global fanbase to showcase their pride and
passion for WWE, its marquee events, and star-studded roster.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220328005280/en/
WWE® and Fanatics Announce Long-Term
Sports Platform Partnership Across E-commerce, Licensed
Merchandise, Trading Cards and NFTs (Photo: Business Wire)
The businesses that will work together to create an elevated fan
experience include Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles and
Candy Digital.
“Fanatics is the industry leader and Michael Rubin is a
visionary,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “We believe
this multi-platform partnership will set a new standard for WWE
e-commerce, apparel and merchandise, while providing our fans
globally with more ways than ever to engage with WWE and our
Superstars.”
As part of the agreement, this summer Fanatics will exclusively
re-introduce a new, rapid e-commerce and mobile destination, WWE
Shop, giving fans around the world access to a leading assortment
of WWE merchandise across all categories, including apparel, hard
goods, such as title belts, headwear, accessories and more.
Fanatics will work closely and collaboratively with the talented
teams at WWE who have significantly grown this business in-house
for decades, and the company will also add rights to design,
manufacture and distribute real-time, on-demand merchandise
collections to celebrate unpredictable WWE moments and new and
emerging Superstars.
“WWE is one of the most widely admired sports and entertainment
properties worldwide, and it made perfect sense to activate many
parts of our Fanatics global platform to create a
first-of-its-kind, all-in fan experience,” said Fanatics CEO
Michael Rubin. “From e-commerce and licensed merchandise to trading
cards and more, we’re going to offer up an incredible set of
capabilities to help WWE’s passionate fans worldwide celebrate
their favorite Superstars, marquee events and the WWE brand
overall.”
Fanatics Collectibles, the company’s trading cards and
collectibles division, will also become the exclusive provider of
licensed WWE physical and digital trading cards, which will once
again bear the nostalgic Topps logo. Fanatics acquired the
legendary 70-year-old Topps brand earlier this year, which
previously held a long-term relationship with WWE. That deal will
commence when WWE’s existing trading cards rights expire over the
next few years.
Also under the pact, later this year Fanatics’ next generation
digital collectibles company, Candy Digital, will become one of
WWE’s primary NFT partners. Candy’s team of world-class digital
artists, designers, and technologists will curate and build a full
range of high-quality trading card NFTs featuring WWE’s biggest
moments and stars.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated
media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment.
The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and
deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE
is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television
programming, premium live events, digital media, and publishing
platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1
billion homes worldwide in 30 languages through world-class
distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, BT Sport,
Sony India, and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all
premium live events, scheduled programming and a massive
video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180
countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service,
Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at
wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
About Fanatics
Fanatics, Inc. is the ultimate one-stop sports fan destination
that ignites and harnesses the passion of fans and maximizes the
presence and reach for preeminent sports partners globally.
Leveraging long-standing relationships with more than 900 sports
properties, a database of more than 80 million consumers worldwide
and a trusted brand name, Fanatics is furthering its innovation
across the sports landscape by building the leading global digital
sports platform, complete with offerings including licensed
merchandise, trading cards and collectibles, digital collectibles
and NFTs, and online gambling and iGaming.
For additional information please visit www.fanaticsinc.com.
Trademarks: All WWE programming,
talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves,
trademarks, logos, and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE
and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights
are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This
press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These
risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating
to: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business, results of
operations and financial condition; entering, maintaining and
renewing major distribution and licensing agreements; a rapidly
evolving media landscape; WWE Network; our need to continue to
develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the
possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports
entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the
services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the
regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the
highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented
nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial
resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors;
uncertainties associated with international markets including
possible disruptions and reputational risks; our difficulty or
inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other
businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our
dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect
those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’
intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights
agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas;
potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or
injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including
without limitation, claims alleging traumatic brain injury; large
public events as well as travel to and from such events; our
feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary
businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and
online operations; privacy norms and regulations; a possible
decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial
markets; our accounts receivable; our indebtedness including our
convertible notes; litigation; our potential failure to meet market
expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely
affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our
affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our
Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible
for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of
possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and
the volatility of our Class A common stock. In addition, our
dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among
other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow,
strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our
financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions
on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit
facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such
other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the
date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the
part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should
not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks
and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please
refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of
the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our
annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220328005280/en/
Media:
WWE Matt Altman Matthew.Altman@wwecorp.com
Fanatics Brandon Williams brawilliams@fanatics.com
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