Fanatics has been named as the official e-commerce merchandise partner for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Fanatics has already been the Team USA e-commerce partner since 2009, but this development will permit them to operate branded merchandise stores throughout the venues used for the 2028 games, as well as outfit volunteers in L.A.
The LA Olympics marketing effort relies heavily on logo design, with celebrities and designers like Billie Eilish, Reese Witherspoon and Bobby Hundreds contributing logo designs for signage and merchandise. With multiple logos for the LA28 games, there are plenty of opportunities for different branding strategies and decorated products, giving Fanatics a lot to work with.
Fanatics’ deal with the IOC, which established a permanent e-commerce platform for the Olympic Games, will allow Fanatics to operate online stores for not only Los Angeles, but also the Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026 events, as well as previously held Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Fans want to be part of the Games every step of the way and, as the industry leader, Fanatics is the perfect creative force to bring that journey to life through products and retail,” Peter Zeytoonjian, senior vice president of consumer products for US Olympic and Paralympic Properties, said, according to Sports Pro Media. “They’ll bring continuous freshness to the market for fans while rapidly advancing retail technology to give consumers seamless, tailored experiences.”
Fanatics has been making big moves over the last couple of years. In addition to its status with the IOC, it also acquired the Topps trading card business in January for a reported $500 million.
The Olympic Games are always a huge branding event, with mascots, medals, team gear and fan merchandise. With LA seemingly going all-in on the merchandise sales and logo design, it will be interesting to see just how much the Hollywood games raise the bar when it comes to promotion and branding.
