From Jerseys to Jump Cuts: Fanatics Makes Its Hollywood Move
Fanatics isn’t done expanding. The company that seemingly wants a piece of every corner of the sports business world just dropped another bombshell—they’re diving headfirst into video production.
The sports merchandising behemoth has partnered with Los Angeles-based OBB Media to create Fanatics Studios, a joint venture designed to pump out everything from feature films to digital series. OBB, known for producing Kevin Hart’s “Cold As Balls” interview series, brings serious entertainment chops to the table.
While nobody’s talking exact dollar figures, OBB isn’t playing small ball here. They’re projecting nine-figure revenue in year one. That’s not a typo—that’s hundreds of millions of dollars.
Big Names Already On Board
Fanatics Studios isn’t messing around with the lineup. They’ve already locked down major projects that’ll make fans drool:
ESPN has tapped them to co-produce the ESPYs and develop additional content, including a behind-the-scenes look at Fanatics Fest. MLB is on board for multiple original projects, highlighted by a docuseries covering the 2026 World Baseball Classic. WWE fans will get unscripted shows and a cooking series featuring The Usos.
Tom Brady’s getting in on the action too. Through his Shadow Lion creative studio, the NFL legend is collaborating on a docuseries about his flag football venture launching this spring in Saudi Arabia. And perhaps the crown jewel: Fanatics Studios will produce the official film for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Why This Makes Perfect Sense
This partnership took about a year to hammer out, building on OBB’s existing relationship as the official content partner for Fanatics Fest. The structure is pretty straightforward—Fanatics works exclusively with OBB on all content projects, while OBB commits exclusively to Fanatics for sports-related work.
“We feel like we have our pulse on the culture of sports and how to get virality,” OBB founder and CEO Michael D. Ratner told reporters. He’ll lead Fanatics Studios as CEO.
The setup leverages OBB’s existing infrastructure—studios, technology, the whole nine yards—but both companies are actively hiring more talent, including on-air personalities.
Ratner makes a compelling point about why major sports entities with their own production capabilities would partner with them: “Yes, many of our partners have production capabilities, but I think there’s a bit of a ceiling on what they can do in this space. We can come in with additional energy and culture and work with them to really build up the fan experience.”
From trading cards to betting to content creation, Fanatics keeps finding new ways to embed itself deeper into the sports ecosystem. The question isn’t whether they’ll succeed—it’s what corner of the sports world they’ll conquer next.
