German Football Association Expands Successful Fanatics Partnership

The DFB and Fanatics, a digital sports platform and global leader in licensed sports merchandise, have today announced long-term extension to their existing omnichannel retail partnership, following significant growth achieved across the DFB’s retail channels, which will widen Fanatics’ existing remit with the organisation.

The expanded and extended partnership, encompassing both UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will see Fanatics retain exclusive global eCommerce rights with the DFB and run the official DFB-Fanshop as well as running DFB on-site retail during home games and DFB cup finals.

In addition, building upon the previous arrangement, Fanatics now has the rights to manufacture, distribute and, where desirable, license to third parties an expanded range of DFB-branded fan merchandise across a broad range of product categories, such as headwear, retro fanwear, hard goods, homeware, consumer electronics, stationary and more.

The expanded partnership was agreed following strong commercial results for the DFB across its retail channels in 2022, including record-breaking demand for DFB merchandise. On 27th November 2022, Fanatics confirmed its most popular day ever for DFB merchandise across its network, beating its previous daily record by 77%.

Under the terms of the partnership, the DFB leverages Fanatics’ innovative Vertical Commerce model which combines a world-class technology platform with an agile supply chain and on-demand manufacturing to create the broadest and most responsive assortment of high-quality merchandise for fans. In the fast changing and often unpredictable world of sport, this model empowers organisations such as the DFB to tailor their retail offering to the latest results and on-pitch action.  

This flexibility was integral during the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, where the DFB was able to service a major unexpected spike in demand for personalised merchandise following the scoring success of Germany forward Niclas Füllkrug, who sold the most German shirts on the official online DFB-Fanshop throughout November. In the hour following Füllkrug’s dramatic equaliser vs Spain, the German number nine also sold 90% more shirts than all other 25 players in the German squad combined.

The DFB will also continue to utilise Fanatics’ industry leading Cloud Commerce technology, which provides rapid navigation for fans across online and mobile sites. This means that football fans both across Germany and internationally will continue to benefit from faster website performance, larger hi-resolution product displays, multiple currencies and frictionless checkout, transforming the shopping experience.

"We are very pleased to extend and expand our successful partnership with Fanatics, and to leverage their global partner network to jointly offer an even wider range of merchandise products to our fans in the DFB Fan Shop and in retail," says Dr. Holger Blask, Managing Director Marketing, Sales & Events at DFB GmbH & Co.KG. "Together with Fanatics, we will continuously work to further improve the service for our fans."

Since opening its Hamburg office in 2018, Fanatics has partnered with a number of prominent sports and retail organisations across the nation, such as leading sporting goods retailer SportScheck, providing sports fans across Germany with access to the most comprehensive range of licensed sports merchandise available in the country.

Matthew Primack, Senior Vice-President, International Business Affairs & Development at Fanatics, also commented: “We are thrilled to confirm this renewal of our deep and trusted relationship with the DFB, to double down on our ongoing commitment to both the DFB and our growing presence in Germany more widely. Over the coming years, our ambition is to continue to work closely with the DFB to enhance and enlarge their brand at retail and within consumer product segments, to go above and beyond our current remit of operating retail and merchandise channels, to drive ever-greater success for the organisation and to reach German fans everywhere.”

Fanatics partners with more than 900 of the largest sporting organisations, teams and leagues in the world including Bayern Munich, the German Olympic Team, Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, The FA, UEFA, NFL, NBA and Formula 1.