Fanatics, the global sports merchandise retailer best known for jerseys, memorabilia and collectibles, has officially entered the world of entertainment with the launch of Fanatics Studios, a new content production arm designed to bring sports stories to life through film, documentary, live events and other narrative formats. The launch event at the Intuit Dome brought together a high‑profile audience that included legendary quarterback Tom Brady, NBA star James Harden, artist and producer Travis Scott, and model and media personality Hailey Bieber, signaling the company’s ambition to bridge sports, culture and storytelling on a large scale.
Fanatics Studios was developed in partnership with OBB Media, a production company co‑founded by Brady, his business partner and producer Michael Strahan, and fellow creatives. The venture aims to produce a wide range of content that goes beyond traditional sports coverage, focusing instead on immersive storytelling that highlights athletes, events and cultural moments that define the sports landscape. Among the announced projects are content centered on the 2028 Summer Olympics, a multipart documentary series about Brady titled One More Drive, and a collaborative production role on the 2026 ESPY Awards alongside ESPN. These initiatives reflect a strategy to position Fanatics Studios as a major player in sports entertainment content, leveraging both the company’s access to athletes and its deep footprint in sports culture.
In announcing the new studio, Fanatics leadership emphasized that the initiative is built around the idea of serving fans with emotional, cinematic storytelling that explores not just athletics, but the human stories behind the athletes and events that captivate audiences. The One More Drive documentary series, centered on Brady’s final seasons and transition into retirement and media work, is expected to mix personal narrative, behind‑the‑scenes access and reflections on legacy, ambition and the evolution of an athlete’s life beyond competition. The company also described plans to create documentary films, scripted series concepts, and live event programming that celebrate sports history and explore emerging cultural trends intersecting with sports.
The launch underscored Fanatics’ broader ambition to expand from retail into what executives described as “fan‑first entertainment,” reshaping how audiences experience sporting narratives and athlete legacies. The Intuit Dome event featured performances, panel discussions and previews that highlighted how sports figures, musicians and creators are collaborating to build new kinds of content that reach beyond traditional broadcast formats. Attendees spoke about the power of storytelling to deepen fan engagement and create cultural moments that resonate long after the final whistle.
Fanatics Studios has also announced strategic partnerships with major sports organizations, including World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Major League Baseball (MLB). These collaborations are expected to yield content that ranges from documentary series on iconic figures and moments to event‑driven narratives that tap into the histories and fan bases of each organization. For WWE, known for its rich storytelling tradition and large global audience, the partnership could include retrospective documentaries or character‑driven series that explore the evolution of the sport‑entertainment brand. With MLB, earlier announcements have hinted at content that celebrates baseball’s giants and explores untold stories from the sport’s past and present.
The collaboration with ESPN on the 2026 ESPY Awards — one of professional sports’ marquee celebration events — represents a further step in Fanatics Studios’ strategy to integrate itself into mainstream sports media. Co‑producing the ESPYs places the new studio on a national stage alongside established broadcasters and connects Fanatics directly with millions of viewers who tune in to celebrate athletic achievement, performance, and cultural impact.
Industry analysts see Fanatics Studios as part of a broader trend in which companies with deep ties to sports commerce and fan communities are moving into entertainment content as a way to extend their brands and capitalize on the emotional pull of sports storytelling. By producing film and documentary content that spotlights athlete journeys, historical milestones and culturally significant moments, Fanatics aims to reach a wider audience and generate long‑term engagement that complements its merchandising business.
Some observers note that the timing also places Fanatics Studios to play a prominent role in the cultural build‑up to the 2028 Olympics, offering narrative lead‑ins and documentaries that could frame how fans understand and connect with the Games. The studio’s founders and partners have described the Olympics as a chance to elevate global storytelling, spotlight international athletes, and create a series of compelling films and digital content in the years leading up to the Los Angeles Games.
Beyond high‑profile projects, Fanatics Studios is expected to embrace emerging formats such as short‑form digital content, interactive fan experiences and cross‑platform releases that blend traditional film and television with social and digital media. This multifaceted approach mirrors how younger audiences increasingly consume content and suggests that the studio’s offerings may span from streaming platforms to theatrical releases and live fan events.
While the economics and critical reception of sports‑focused entertainment ventures remain to be seen, the Fanatics Studios announcement highlights how the worlds of sports, media and culture are converging in new ways. For athletes and fans alike, the promise of richer, more immersive storytelling — from intimate documentaries to wide‑ranging cultural explorations — represents a growing appetite for narratives that go beyond game highlights and statistics to touch on personal journeys, societal impact and the larger meaning of competition.
As Fanatics transitions from primarily a merchandise leader to a full‑scale entertainment producer, its success could influence how other sports business entities approach content creation and fan engagement. With a blend of star power, major institutional partnerships, and high‑profile projects already underway, Fanatics Studios is positioning itself at the forefront of sports entertainment in 2026 and beyond.
