Fanatics Hires Google Executive to Lead Push Into Live-Streamed Shopping

[golakers32]

Oh this does not sounds good. All the good stuff for the Fanatics breakers then sell the cards live at secondary markup.

WSJ 2/2/2023


Fanatics Hires Google Executive to Lead Push Into Live-Streamed Shopping
Sports-merchandise company plans to focus on creators who sell trading cards

Sports merchandise retailer Fanatics Inc. will enter the nascent business of live-streamed shopping in the U.S. with a new unit that is set to launch in the second half of this year, the company said.

Fanatics has named Nick Bell, who had been product leader at Alphabet Inc.’s Google and was previously vice president of content at Snap Inc., to lead the operation as CEO of the unit, to be called Fanatics Live.

Live-streamed shopping has yet to grip consumers in the U.S. the way it has in China, despite investments in the space by companies including Walmart Inc. and ByteDance’s TikTok.

Fanatics sees the potential for success thanks in large part to its internal database of some 90 million sports fans, said Mr. Bell.

It will host video events led by digital content creators and influencers who focus on trading cards. Much of the initial content will focus on “breaking,” in which creators will open new boxes of trading cards live on camera and sell them to followers. Viewers will be able to buy cards directly from Fanatics’ app or website, with the company taking a portion of that sale, said Mr.

Fanatics’ 2022 acquisition of baseball card company Topps Co.’s memorabilia division will be key to this new business, along with the company’s deals to produce trading cards for Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, according to Mr. Bell.

The new division could eventually move into additional categories of sports memorabilia and other parts of Fanatics’ business, but its primary goal at first will be working with creators to entertain fans and followers, Mr. Bell said.

“We see a big opportunity here to create entertaining commerce experiences, because that brings people together and really opens up the collector market to a much wider base of fans,” he said. “We want the commerce aspect of this to be the byproduct of entertainment.”

Fanatics Live will take over the name of an existing offering within the company that focuses on meet-and-greet videos featuring famous athletes and their fans. That program will continue running under another name, according to the company.

[KhalDrogo]

But I was just told yesterday that Fanatics doesn’t do anything special for breakers.

[KhalDrogo]

Fanatics is smart. They want to capitalize on all the morons who feel the need to spend money/gamble every second of the day. The more accessible it is, the better it is for Fanatics.

[SupermanBrandon]

FANATICS is ALL IN on BREAKING!!!

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Fanatics is smart. They want to capitalize on all the morons who feel the need to spend money/gamble every second of the day. The more accessible it is, the better it is for Fanatics.

No, no, no.

This is what they said

We see a big opportunity here to create entertaining commerce experiences, because that brings people together and really opens up the collector market to a much wider base of fans,” he said. “We want the commerce aspect of this to be the byproduct of entertainment.”

They are looking at creating experience and entertainment, commerce will just be the accidental byproduct of all this hobby awesomeness they are going to give us.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by JeremyNick

They are looking at creating experience and entertainment, commerce will just be the accidental byproduct of all this hobby awesomeness they are going to give us.

FanaticsQVC

Anybody hear from Loober lately? Is he even with Fanatics anymore? If he is, he’s been doing a knockout job with zero cool.

[OhioLawyerF5]

This sounds like a platform intended to compete with Youtube and Whatnot for content. They basically want breakers to break on their site/app instead of those other guys. I mean, it was obvious that was coming given how they are clearly intending to take over every part of the card market. Why let distributers cut into your profits? Why let dealers cut into your profits? Why let ebay cut into your profits? Why let Whatnot cut into your profits? Their clear intent is to take over all those aspects of the hobby and keep the profits for themselves. They want to control it from manufacturing of the card until the card gets into the hand of the collector....and beyond!

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

FanaticsQVC

Anybody hear from Loober lately? Is he even with Fanatics anymore? If he is, he’s been doing a knockout job with zero cool.

He’s been out for a while.

[Asian62150]

Not into breaking, but if Fanatics breaks stuff themselves and does it professionally, that's one thing.

I hope they don't outsource/hire some of these current breakers who do a terrible job and treat their customers and their cards like garbage.

[JoshMN]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

FanaticsQVC

Anybody hear from Loober lately? Is he even with Fanatics anymore? If he is, he’s been doing a knockout job with zero cool.

I could have been dreaming this, but did anyone watch the Eagles game over the weekend? I think it was either pre-game or half-time and they showed Luber hanging out with Kevin Hart and Joel Embiid on the sideline.

I swear I heard Michael Strahan say, "...and there's my guy Josh Luber".

I know this is the baseball thread, but I imagine some of you watch football too. Anyone else see/hear that? I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit when I heard it.

[SleepyWill]

But, but, I thought that other thread had individuals stating that they "knew" Fanatics wouldn't do anything like this <eye rolls>.

Happier now deciding to go all into vintage at this point.

[golakers32]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

They want to control it from manufacturing of the card until the card gets into the hand of the collector....and beyond!

Fanatics will come to your home, make sure all cards are organized in Fanatics made cases, and only allow you to open the case to view your collection via monthly subscription QR code lock.

But everything will be one “low” monthly fee.

[JoshMN]

Originally Posted by SleepyWill

But, but, I thought that other thread had individuals stating that they "knew" Fanatics wouldn't do anything like this <eye rolls>.

We should be wishing those folks a happy birthday! It's a day late- they were born yesterday- but they might still appreciate it!

[kyle1707]

There is no where else this market is heading

I have watched Layton open a million dollars in cards the last month

My card shop did not open a million dollars in the 7 years I was open

It really sucks. The only hope imo is that fanatics can some how make hobby products and breaking products some day

But I doubt it’s possible

[PoPCulture]

Anyone else starting to feel like they are too old for this hobby lately? I’m not asking to be able to walk into 7-Eleven and buy buy packs from the candy aisle but it would be nice to know that I’m still going to be able to open my own packs in 5 years.

[oldgoldy97]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

But I was just told yesterday that Fanatics doesn’t do anything special for breakers.

We were all duped.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by PoPCulture

Anyone else starting to feel like they are too old for this hobby lately? I’m not asking to be able to walk into 7-Eleven and buy buy packs from the candy aisle but it would be nice to know that I’m still going to be able to open my own packs in 5 years.

You’ll still be able to. But Fanatics will favor the creation of products that lend themselves to breaking. Because that is where the money is for them.

[marterburn]

It's over Johnny

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[oldgoldy97]

50 “limited” TC sets coming where every card is numbered to 99. TC Dark, TC Light, TC Sonic, TC Silence, TC Cosmic, TC Quantum, TC Atheist, etc.

[baseballbunez]

They've talked about this since the initial acquisitions, this isn't a surprise. This is the eventual push out for vast majority of breakers, as to get on this platform will require the additional % cut going back to Fanatics plus the infrastructure investments/improvements that they will require to be breakers on their platform. Ultimately it will be better for customers IMO as the breakers on this platform will be vetted and all, so in theory fewer concerns of not getting your cards/etc.

For majority of breakers, this is the sign to start saving or figure out next steps in their business IMO

[JRX]

Originally Posted by golakers32

Fanatics will come to your home, make sure all cards are organized in Fanatics made cases, and only allow you to open the case to view your collection via monthly subscription QR code lock.

But everything will be one “low” monthly fee.

I thought they were also creating their own vault so you can store your collection with them, no need for shipping expenses!

[marterburn]

1. I only buy into breaks from breakers I like. Will I get to continue doing that, e.g. will it be an "affiliate" that we can choose? or will they have specific dudes they hire and you just get who you get, blindly? I assume the worst there until there's clarity.

2. I theorize they will have 0 interest in doing player breaks. They're harder to sell, without a doubt. Their product in team/division/box break formats will sell regardless, so why would they care? They really only want to move the product. They've shown that they do not care about how people collect, only that it sells.

Ipso facto, for a guy who's moved almost entirely to player breaks, it's over Johnny.

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[oldgoldy97]

Next step is that they’ll have their own currency you have to buy to spend on their platform, like church festival tokens or Schrutebucks.

[SleepyWill]

I'm too old to figure this out, but if someone could paste the Bill Paxton meme from Aliens "Game over Man" . . . I'd appreciate it.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by oldgoldy97

Next step is that they’ll have their own currency you have to buy to spend on their platform, like church festival tokens or Schrutebucks.

What's the conversion of Shrutebucks to Stanley Nickels?