Fanatics and MLB Superstar Shohei Ohtani Lock Up Exclusive Memorabilia Partnership to Reach Fans Across the Globe
Fanatics, a global leader for officially licensed sports merchandise and memorabilia, today announced an exclusive, multi-year partnership with Major League Baseball superstar and 2021 MLB All-Star Shohei Ohtani, who will join its roster of preeminent athletes housed under the company’s memorabilia and collectibles division, Fanatics Authentic.
Under the new partnership, Fanatics will become the lone distributor of Ohtani’s full assortment of highly sought-after autographs, collectibles, and memorabilia, which will feature the largest assortment of Ohtani products ever offered. The collection of items – available with signatures and inscriptions in both English and Japanese - will include baseballs, bats, jerseys, photos and select game-used items.
"It's an honor to join Fanatics as their latest exclusive athlete,” said Ohtani. "Their global presence and reach throughout both the United States and Japan will help provide fans everywhere access to incredible products.”
Doubling as starting pitcher and position player for the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani is one of the most versatile, exciting athletes in all of sports. Following a decorated career with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan, Ohtani made his much anticipated MLB debut in 2018 and proceeded to win the American League’s Rookie of the Year in his first season. Ohtani has become a key contributor on the mound and at the plate, and in his young career is already just one of just five MLB players ever to throw 100 strike outs and hit 60 home runs.
The MLB star joins Fanatics’ star-studded roster of exclusive athletes across all sports, including Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, Pete Alonso, Anthony Rizzo, Tom Brady, Trevor Lawrence, Sabrina Ioenescu, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Zion Williamson to name a few.
“Shohei Ohtani is a once-in-a-generation baseball talent and it’s incredibly exciting to welcome him to the Fanatics team,” said Fanatics executive vice president Victor Shaffer. “There is no doubting his growing popularity both in the United States and in his native Japan and we look forward to providing fans everywhere with the widest assortment of Ohtani officially licensed merchandise and collectibles ever offered.”
Through Fanatics’ worldwide e-commerce platform, global distribution network and rapid, agile supply chain, fans everywhere will now have access to the most robust assortment of real-time Ohtani memorabilia and collectibles ever offered. Fanatics’ growing infrastructure and capabilities throughout Asia, which includes partnerships with several of the biggest Japanese baseball clubs including Ohtani’s former team Hokkaido Nippon Ham-Fighters, will put products in the hands of fans in his native country faster than ever before.
Fans can shop the full collection of Ohtani products across the Fanatics network of online stores, including Fanatics.com and MLBShop.com.