Paris Saint-Germain and Fanatics sign 10-year mega-deal

Paris Saint-Germain and Fanatics, the global leader in licensed sports merchandising, today announced a ten-year e-commerce, manufacturing and licensing deal in one of the most comprehensive and ambitious sports merchandising partnerships ever created.

The deal is a massive expansion and extension from the previous e-commerce only arrangement between the two groups, which will now see Fanatics gain an even broader set of e-commerce rights as well as new manufacturing rights and management of the Club’s overarching apparel, headwear and hard goods licensing program, creating a wider range of products for PSG fans and dedicated PSG stores.

The new partnership sees a coming together of two of sport’s most cutting-edge and creative organisations and aims to provide PSG fans worldwide with the most comprehensive array of merchandise ever offered through Fanatics’ agile, vertical commerce model and global presence. The expansion will propel the Paris Saint-Germain merchandising business into one of the biggest in the world of sport.

Fanatics will exclusively operate the e-commerce business for one of football’s biggest and most recognisable global brands, while also becoming the master licensee for their full merchandise portfolio aside from Nike products and other co-branding initiatives.

The long-term partnership, which will begin this summer and run until 2030, will see Fanatics create the products or sub-license the rights to leaders in their respective fields, manufacture and distribute a significantly expanded, real-time selection of Paris Saint-Germain products, enhancing the choice and experience for fans of PSG across the globe. This will be done in accordance with the club’s strategy, with Paris Saint-Germain keeping ownership over its brand and its development.

The deal also expands the organisation’s reach by tapping into Fanatics’ database of 45 million active clients in all key PSG markets, which include Europe, North America and Asia, with the short-term goal of expanding the club’s e-commerce business by at least 3X over the next 36 months.

Following its ground-breaking deals and product innovation with the likes of Nike and its Jordan brand, Paris Saint-Germain has grown to become one of the most talked about consumer brands. In partnering with Fanatics, one of the most pioneering sports and technology companies in the world, the club will also gain access to cutting edge e-commerce systems and the company’s vertical commerce model, which combines on-demand manufacturing with an agile supply chain to produce the most timely assortments of high-quality merchandise for fans shopping across online and offline channels.

“Above all, we were looking for uniting competence and excellence”, says Fabien Allegre, the Paris Saint-Germain Brand diversification director. “What is special about Paris Saint-Germain is its brand ambition in fields outside football. On the other side, Fanatics has an incredible know-how when it comes to fan experience and maximizing the potential of sports brands. Our ambition which is high, is to join forces at times when consumption habits change rapidly and business evolves daily.”

Commenting on the new partnership, Gary Gertzog, Fanatics’ President of Business Affairs said: “Paris Saint-Germain is one of the most forward thinking and innovative football clubs in the world and is, without doubt, one of the hottest brands in global sport right now. Partnering with like-minded organizations that enjoy thinking outside of the box to move the industry forward is what excites us. We are incredibly proud to team up with a club that is willing to push the boundaries of what is possible to continue enhancing the experience for sports fans globally.”

Since 2011, Paris Saint-Germain has developed itself faster than any other club with no less than 5000 licensed products over 350 categories. Building on its cutting edge, innovative brand, PSG has also just launched #PSGlimited, a program of exclusive and limited series products for fans to uniquely showcase their pride and passion for the team. With Fanatics opening access to its more than 1,000 licensees, this partnership will continue to welcome new and original product lines for the fans throughout the world. Paris Saint-Germain aims at doubling its number of licensees in the next two years.

Fanatics partners with several of the biggest football clubs across Europe and some of the largest sporting organisations in the world, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Ryder Cup, Tour De France and Formula One.

ABOUT FANATICS

As the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, Fanatics is changing the way fans purchase their favorite team apparel and jerseys through an innovative, tech-infused approach to making and selling fan gear in today's on-demand culture, including manufacturing and distributing all Nike NFL and MLB jerseys and fan apparel sold at retail. Operating multi-channel commerce for the world's biggest sports brands, Fanatics offers the largest collection of timeless and timely merchandise whether shopping online, on your phone, in stores, in stadiums or on-site at the world's biggest sporting events.

As multi-channel company, Fanatics operates more than 300 online and offline stores, including the e-commerce business for all major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, PGA), and more than 200 collegiate and professional team properties, which include several of the biggest global soccer clubs (Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City). The company's in-venue and event retail portfolio includes the FA Wembley Store, England Rugby Twickenham Store and NBA & NHL flagship stores in New York City along with in-arena stores for dozens of European soccer, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL teams and numerous college teams.