Major League Soccer will participate in the inaugural Fanatics Fest NYC, set to take place at New York City’s Javits Center from August 16 – 18.
The festival will be hosted by Fanatics Events, the live and special event division of digital sports platform Fanatics, bringing together fans across all sports to celebrate their passions. The multi-day event will be laced with interactive features, multiple stages and theaters, exclusive merchandise, product drops, major announcements, live podcasts and more to celebrate and elevate modern sports fandom in all its forms.
“Fanatics Events is thrilled to partner with MLS and have them as a key part of our inaugural Fanatics Fest NYC this summer,” said Fanatics Events CEO Lance Fensterman. “The league’s popularity continues to skyrocket, and we look forward to providing a new, engaging space for soccer fans of all ages to celebrate MLS’ incredible players and clubs this August.”
Fanatics Fest NYC will be highlighted by a 2,500-seat main stage that will serve as a backdrop for a range of bespoke content throughout the weekend. The stage will complement a more than 400,000 square foot show floor with activations featuring many preeminent leagues, teams and brands, such as the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, UFC, WWE, Fanatics, Topps, Mitchell & Ness, Lids, Fanatics Sportsbook and Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), with many more to be added.
Many of the biggest names in sports and culture will be on hand, including seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant (alongside his sports, media and entertainment brand, Boardroom), NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, MLB Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, WNBA superstar Sabrina Ionescu and WWE legend Hulk Hogan.
“Sports fans deserve a place to gather, celebrate their passions and foster new ones, and Fanatics Fest NYC aims to do just that,” said Fensterman. “Unlike any other events in the world of sports fandom, Fanatics Fest NYC will reside at the intersection of sports, culture, entertainment and collecting, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome fans into part of what will become a yearlong calendar of premium live experiences.”
Among the additional activities on-site, attendees can expect an all-day “trading pit” for card collectors of all ages – which features “Collecting 101” content for novice collectors – as well as a museum display of some of the world’s rarest cards and sports memorabilia.
Additional fan engagements include live-streamed collectibles “breaks” through the Fanatics Live platform, a retail superstore offering a significant assortment of products across hundreds of teams and leagues, exclusive apparel collaborations with top brands, athlete meet and greets, exclusive Topps trading card drops and more.
Fanatics Events will release details on additional in-market fan and collector events later this year.
