Fanatics is moving its loyalty strategy into a new phase — monetisation.
The company has signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with AT&T that will integrate the brand across its expanding ecosystem, including e-commerce, events and its rapidly growing rewards platform, Fanatics One.
The deal marks the first time Fanatics has directly commercialised its loyalty program — transforming what was once a retention tool into a standalone revenue stream.
From Engagement Tool to Business Driver
Launched last year, Fanatics One was built on the company’s existing FanCash system, consolidating previously fragmented reward programs into a single ecosystem.
The results have been immediate.
Membership has surged from 10 million to 30 million users in just eight months, highlighting the growing importance of loyalty-driven engagement in sports commerce.
Internally, Fanatics has long argued that multi-platform users spend three to four times more than single-category customers — a key insight driving the company’s push to unify its verticals.
Now, with AT&T onboard, that engagement is being monetised.
Expanding Across the Fanatics Ecosystem
The partnership extends beyond digital.
AT&T will also become an official partner of Fanatics Fest, the company’s flagship fan convention, which drew more than 125,000 attendees in New York last year — nearly doubling its debut turnout in 2024.
In addition, AT&T customers will receive enhanced status within Fanatics One, unlocking exclusive rewards and experiences — a model increasingly common across industries like airlines, streaming platforms and fintech.
A Broader Shift in the Sports Industry
Fanatics’ move reflects a wider trend across sports.
Leagues, teams and betting operators are all investing in loyalty ecosystems designed to deepen fan relationships and increase lifetime value.
For example, NBA has introduced its own membership ecosystem, while franchises like the San Antonio Spurs reward fans for purchases, attendance and digital engagement.
Fanatics, however, is aiming bigger.
Company leadership has suggested the platform could eventually evolve into a subscription-based model, similar to Amazon’s Prime, while also integrating ticketing, media and potentially third-party partnerships.
The Bigger Picture
What started as a loyalty mechanism is quickly becoming infrastructure.
By layering sponsorship, rewards and cross-platform engagement into a single system, Fanatics is building something closer to a fan economy engine — one that doesn’t just retain users, but actively generates revenue from their behavior.