Fanatics Studios launches with premium slate, announcing projects and partnerships with ESPN, WWE, LA28, Tom Brady, Fox Sports, MLB, and more
Company Co-Founded by Fanatics and OBB Media with Michael D. Ratner serving as CEO of Fanatics Studios and continuing in his role as Founder and CEO of OBB Media
New venture becomes latest vertical within Fanatics’ growing sports platform and marks another formative chapter for OBB amidst rapid growth
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fanatics, a leading global sports platform, and OBB Media, the award-winning next-gen entertainment studio, have announced the launch of Fanatics Studios, a transformative new joint venture poised to be the premier global studio for sports entertainment. Built to independently create, finance, produce, and distribute best-in-class content at the intersection of sports and culture, Fanatics Studios will launch with a slate spanning feature films and documentaries, unscripted and scripted originals, one-of-a-kind live event specials, premium digital series, and more.
Fanatics Studios brings together industry-leading capabilities, resources and relationships from both companies: pairing Fanatics’ unmatched reach and impact as one of the most dynamic companies in sports which boasts a roster of thousands of preeminent athletes and sports partners which span the apparel industry, trading cards and collectibles, sports betting and iGaming, events and more, with OBB’s proven ability to drive culture through storytelling and create award-winning content with the biggest names in entertainment, amassing billions of views.
Fanatics Studios is launching with a premium slate of projects and partnerships including:
- LA28: Fanatics Studios will enter into a strategic content partnership with the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, leading production across marquee film, television, and digital projects spotlighting athletes, culture, and the defining moments of the Games.
- The Official Olympics Film: Fanatics Studios is being bestowed the honor of producing the official Olympic film, which will be set for a theatrical release and have a director named later.
- The Fanatics Flag Football Classic: A first-of-its-kind round robin tournament featuring three teams of incredible current and legendary football players and world-class athletes, including Tom Brady coming out of retirement to make his flag football debut, broadcast live on Fox in March from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- One More Drive: A multi-part docu-follow on Tom Brady, produced in partnership with Shadow Lion. Following the next chapter in Tom’s storied career, as the seven-time Super Bowl Champion comes out of retirement, preparing for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in 2026 and 2027, and potentially competing for a roster spot on Team USA as flag football makes its Olympic Games debut at LA28.
- The 2026 ESPY Awards: Fanatics Studios will join ESPN and Full Day Productions to produce The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One, the annual awards show that celebrates and recognizes major sports achievements and excellence, the defining athletes, and most iconic moments of the year.
- ESPN: Fanatics Studios and ESPN have additionally entered an overall partnership with hours of committed programming across 2026 & 2027. The partnership includes the renewal of Fanatics Fest All Access, the one-hour special providing an all-access pass into Fanatics Fest — the world’s number one sports fan festival.
- WWE: Fanatics Studios and WWE have entered into a meaningful overall partnership, with a multi-project commitment across unscripted and digital content:
- WWE digital shows, including What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, What’s Your Story? with Steph McMahon, Six Feet Under with The Undertaker, and The Raw Recap Show hosted by Megan Morant and Sam Roberts, distributed on the WWE YouTube channel which has 112 million subscribers, the 11th most-subscribed channel worldwide. The channel surpassed 100 billion total lifetime views on YouTube, the 10th channel in history to do so.
- YEE(A)T with The Usos: Fanatics Studios will debut an unscripted culinary series with WWE Superstars Jimmy and Jey Uso, who will take their tag team efforts on the road with a BBQ travel show featuring fellow WWE superstars and celebrity friends distributed across WWE’s social and YouTube channels.
- MLB: Fanatics Studios and MLB are launching an official global partnership to produce original content that deepens fan engagement and elevates baseball’s cultural relevance worldwide.
- World Baseball Classic: A docu-series chronicling the biggest global event in baseball as nations compete for the 2026 WBC title. Produced alongside Box To Box Films.
- World Baseball Classic: A docu-series chronicling the biggest global event in baseball as nations compete for the 2026 WBC title. Produced alongside Box To Box Films.
“I’m incredibly excited about launching Fanatics Studios and adding an important content and media business to our growing sports platform that also supports all of our existing businesses,” said Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. “We could not have dreamed up a better partner in Michael Ratner and the team at OBB, and together we are going to continue pushing our mission of relentlessly enhancing the fan experience by creating content that brings fans closer than ever to the teams, players, sports, cultural moments and events that they love in a way that’s never been done before.”
“Sports and pop culture are converging at the heart of the global entertainment landscape and we’re building Fanatics Studios to redefine what is possible at that intersection,” said Michael D. Ratner. “At OBB, our mission has always been to work with the greatest and most ambitious partners, and Fanatics is undeniably that — a powerhouse that is respected by athletes, leagues, organizations, and fans across the sports universe. I can think of no better partner to supercharge the next phase of growth in our sports business, and I look forward to continuing to work with Michael Rubin and the entire Fanatics team as we build the best-in-class studio for the future of sports entertainment.”
Fanatics Studios formally combines OBB Sports’ go-forward production business with Fanatics’ existing media partnerships, creating the exclusive entity for all sports-related content for both companies moving forward. OBB Pictures will handle physical production on all Fanatics Studios projects. Ratner will be the CEO of Fanatics Studios while continuing to lead all of OBB Media’s separate businesses. Prior projects from OBB Sports that predate the venture and will remain separate include Cold as Balls with Kevin Hart, which just surpassed its 100th episode, recent breakout hit Speed Goes Pro with IShowSpeed, the recently announced Kevin Durant docu-series for Netflix, and the Peabody and Sports Emmy award-winning Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa.
Fanatics and OBB also recently announced a ten-year partnership to continue to co-produce Fanatics Fest, the world’s number one fan festival, which will return to the Javits Center in New York City on July 16-19.
Media Contacts:
Jacqueline Giaccio
VP of Communications, OBB Media and Fanatics Studios
jacqueline.giaccio@obbmedia.com
About Fanatics Studios
Fanatics Studios is a transformative new joint venture by Fanatics, a leading global sports platform, and OBB Media, the award-winning next-gen entertainment studio, creating a global sports and entertainment studio. Built to independently create, finance, produce, and distribute best-in-class content at the intersection of sports and culture, Fanatics Studios will house a slate of projects spanning feature films and documentaries, unscripted and scripted originals, one-of-a-kind live event specials, premium digital series, and more.
Fanatics Studios brings together industry-leading capabilities, resources and relationships from both companies: pairing Fanatics’ unmatched reach and impact as one of the most dynamic companies in sports which boasts a roster of thousands of preeminent athletes and sports partners which span the apparel industry, trading cards and collectibles, sports betting and iGaming, events and more, with OBB’s proven ability to drive culture through storytelling and create award-winning content with the biggest names in entertainment, amassing billions of views. Building on the work of OBB Cares and Fanatics Foundation, Fanatics Studios will identify opportunities to drive positive change through strategic partnerships with non-profit organizations.
About OBB Media
OBB Media is the award-winning next-gen entertainment studio driving pop culture through innovative storytelling across film, television, digital, branded content, live experiences, ventures, and more. Founded by entrepreneur and filmmaker Michael D. Ratner, OBB Media has built a global audience of billions. By marrying zeitgeist-defining creative work across traditional and new media, with the capabilities of a vertically integrated production studio, OBB Media is defining how a new generation of audiences consume content and engage with brands. Led by Ratner, co-founder Scott Ratner and a talented team of storytellers, the company has offices in both West Hollywood, CA and New York City and also operates OBB Studios—a 15,000+ square-foot, state-of-the-art production and event facility in Hollywood, CA. For more information, visit the company website at www.obbmedia.com or follow @obb on Instagram.
About Fanatics
Fanatics is a leading global sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with over 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, over 5,000 athletes and celebrities, and over 250 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including our Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.
