Major League Soccer announced a broad long-term global agreement with apparel company Fanatics on Monday, expanding the scale and scope of Fanatics’ relationship with MLS beginning in 2019.
The partnership will see MLS and Fanatics roll out an assortment of new fan gear apparel and accessories prior to the 2019 season.
This agreement complements MLS’s long-running partnership with adidas, the official sponsor for the league, its clubs, youth academies and youth affiliated clubs – for all products worn on the field by MLS athletes and technical staff.
In addition to extending the existing e-commerce relationship between the two organizations, the deal sees Fanatics gaining worldwide rights to exclusively produce MLS fan gear apparel, headwear and hard goods via retail, online and wholesale channels. The expanded availability of MLS products around the globe begins with the launch of a new, localized Canadian e-commerce platform in 2018.
Fanatics will also take over exclusive on-site retail operations of key league events, including the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, creating a more seamless experience for fans.
In addition to powering the official MLS online store, MLSstore.com, which encompasses all 23 MLS clubs, Fanatics is the official in-venue retail provider for Atlanta United FC, the Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, Minnesota United FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
