Fanatics is making a power move into entertainment.
The sports merchandise giant, led by billionaire Michael Rubin, just launched Fanatics Studios—a new joint venture with OBB Media that’s already lined up over nine figures in first-year revenue.
This isn’t some hollow announcement with distant promises.
Fanatics Studios is hitting the ground running with major deals already secured with LA28 Olympics, ESPN, WWE, and MLB—producing everything from live events to scripted series and feature films.
Not Your Typical Hollywood Launch
Michael D. Ratner, founder of OBB Media and now CEO of Fanatics Studios, made it clear this venture isn’t built on Hollywood smoke and mirrors.
I’m allergic to thin, vanity shingle announcements. So much work needs to go on behind the scenes to make a project real.
Ratner emphasized that Fanatics Studios isn’t announcing development deals—they’re announcing actual production commitments. The studio plans to become what Ratner calls “the preeminent sports content studio,” and the numbers back up that ambition.
I think that when you look at the work that’s been done pre-launch, it amounts to over nine figures in revenue in year one of the business.
Olympic-Sized Ambitions
One of Fanatics Studios’ marquee partnerships involves LA28, the organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
The studio will produce extensive content around the Games, including an official Olympics film destined for theatrical release. This represents a significant bet on sports documentary filmmaking at the highest level.
ESPN Partnership Brings Mainstream Credibility
Fanatics Studios secured a major content deal with ESPN that includes co-producing the 2026 ESPY Awards alongside the network and Full Day Production.
Beyond the ESPYs, the studio will create hours of additional ESPN content over the next two years. This includes further installments of the Fanatics Fest docuseries, which debuted last year following the live event in New York that merged sports and pop culture.
Tom Brady’s Flag Football Return
Perhaps the most attention-grabbing project involves seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady coming out of retirement.
Brady will compete in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi Arabia, with the event airing on Fox. But there’s more—Fanatics Studios is producing a docuseries following Brady’s return to competition.
The series will track Brady as he potentially prepares for a push toward the 2028 Olympics, where flag football will make its debut as an Olympic sport.
Building Repeatable Franchises
Ratner’s strategy focuses on creating what he calls “big, sticky, repeatable franchises” rather than one-off projects.
I think if I had to highlight what’s inherent to the DNA of the business that Michael and I intend to build here, it’s really about creating IP that could then be the beneficiary of the Fanatics ecosystem and flywheel.
The Flag Football Classic exemplifies this approach—an annual event that generates content, builds audience loyalty, and creates multiple revenue streams through Fanatics’ existing businesses.
WWE Digital Domination
Fanatics Studios became a partner for numerous WWE digital shows and podcasts, tapping into wrestling’s passionate fanbase.
The slate includes popular existing shows like:
What Do You Wanna Talk About with Cody Rhodes
Six Feet Under with The Undertaker
What’s Your Story? with Steph McMahon
The Raw Recap Show hosted by Megan Morant and Sam Roberts
The partnership also includes plans for YEE(A)T, a new food travel show featuring WWE tag team brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso.
MLB Content Pipeline
Major League Baseball joined the Fanatics Studios roster with a content deal that launches with a docuseries covering the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
This partnership positions Fanatics Studios to create ongoing baseball content that complements Fanatics’ already dominant position in MLB merchandise and collectibles through its Topps acquisition.
The Power Of Michael Rubin’s Rolodex
Rubin’s extraordinary network of connections across sports, entertainment, and business provides Fanatics Studios with unmatched access.
Michael’s a dream partner. He’s got these amazing relationships.
Ratner praised Rubin as an “incredible thought partner,” “incredible strategist,” and “incredible networker”—qualities that translate directly into content opportunities across Fanatics’ expanding empire.
Rubin expressed his enthusiasm for the venture in a statement, emphasizing the studio’s mission to enhance fan experiences.
We could not have dreamed up a better partner in Michael Ratner and the team at OBB, and together we are going to continue pushing our mission of relentlessly enhancing the fan experience by creating content that brings fans closer than ever to the teams, players, sports, cultural moments and events that they love in a way that’s never been done before.
Fanatics’ Growing Sports Empire
Fanatics Studios represents another strategic expansion for a company systematically building dominance across every aspect of sports business.
The company already controls massive market share in merchandise and apparel. Its acquisition of a controlling stake in Topps from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner made Fanatics the king of sports collectibles.
Fanatics operates in sports betting and recently pushed into prediction markets. The pattern is clear: if it touches sports, Fanatics wants to own it.
Why This Matters Now
Sports content has become increasingly valuable as streaming platforms and traditional networks compete for programming that delivers passionate, engaged audiences.
OBB Media has already proven it can navigate the challenging independent studio landscape, producing hits like Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls and Speed Goes Pro featuring iShowSpeed.
Ratner revealed the extensive preparation behind Fanatics Studios’ launch.
It’s been a long time coming, but over a lot of 2025 we were head down working on this, having the conversations at the highest level with many of the leagues that you see, with many of the networks.
The result is a studio that doesn’t just produce content—it creates integrated experiences across Fanatics’ entire ecosystem, from merchandise to media to memorable moments.
