Fanatics Will Be NHL’s new on-ice uniform partner starting in 24-25

[Vk1ing]

Worst decision they could've possibly made.

Par for the course with the NHL lol

 

[Cypher]

Poor Connor Bedard sales incoming

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

The appearance of Fanatics on the sports merchandising scene has been an unmitigated disaster. It's only because it ultimately isn't really an important industry that there hasn't been a call for legislative intervention.

And honestly, it's still somewhat of a mystery where they got the financing to go from the small 'one of many' sports online shop they were 15 years ago to the dominant player in the industry through various acquisitions and big contracts. Are VCs just pouring huge money into that company? Is there a big investor like a Berkshire Heathaway behind them?

 

[Bucky_Hoyt]

For me personally, I don't really care. I haven't purchased NHL merch in a long time aside from the odd T-shirt. Living overseas the options are always bleak.

That said, it's not a surprising move. As is tradition, the NHL finds yet another way to disappoint the fans. No doubt quality will drop off quickly even with the same facilities. They'll probably let people go in the ensuing first few months leaving an understaffed operation that cuts corners. And, that's for the on-ice product.

Would have loved New Era if even just for some wicked hats.

 

[Isles72]

feels like the 13 year sportsnet deal

 

[Yukon Joe]

The appearance of Fanatics on the sports merchandising scene has been an unmitigated disaster. It's only because it ultimately isn't really an important industry that there hasn't been a call for legislative intervention.

Again - in what way is it an "unmitigated disaster"?

I know many say the quality isn't as good. I haven't looked closely enough to really say. I own one Fanatics jersey and while it doesn't compare to the 2011 Authentic I own, the quality certainly seems "good enough".

But anyway - even if you accept their quality isn't top notch, in what way is their rise an "unmitigated disaster"?

 

[StreetHawk]

Par for the course with the NHL lol

Just says that the NHL business isn't profitable enough for Reebok, Nike, etc. to get into. Personally, would have taken a bit less to remain with one of them, but if none of those companies was interested in the NHL business anymore, then the NHL didn't have many options left to them.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Just says that the NHL business isn't profitable enough for Reebok, Nike, etc. to get into. Personally, would have taken a bit less to remain with one of them, but if none of those companies was interested in the NHL business anymore, then the NHL didn't have many options left to them.

Or maybe it has nothing to do with the NHL itself, and is instead just about the strategic direction of the various companies?

Reebok, for example, was owned by Adidas. Adidas stopped making Reebok-branded hockey gear a number of years ago (I have an old pair of Reebok skates that are no longer made). In 2021 Adidas sold Reebok to a private equity company. I can imagine why partnering with the NHL just doesn't align with what the owners of Reedbok are trying to do with the brand right now.

Nike... Nike used to own Bauer, but sold that company way back in 2008. Nike-branded hockey gear is even older than Reebok-branded hockey gear. Again, I can see why a partnership with the NHL doesn't make strategic sense for Nike that has nothing to do with how large or small the NHL is.


So look I'm just a hockey fan/consumer, not in the business of hockey. But seeing that, I dunno, Adidas is the official NHL jersey sponsor doesn't make me any more likely to go buy an Adidas tracksuit or running shoes - and those are the businesses Adidas is primarily in. But seeing that Fanatics is the official jersey sponsor might make it more likely that I go and buy a Fanatics-brand replica jersey - and those replica jerseys are the business Fanatics is in.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Again - in what way is it an "unmitigated disaster"?

I know many say the quality isn't as good. I haven't looked closely enough to really say. I own one Fanatics jersey and while it doesn't compare to the 2011 Authentic I own, the quality certainly seems "good enough".

But anyway - even if you accept their quality isn't top notch, in what way is their rise an "unmitigated disaster"?

You've got essentially a trust for the sale of team sports merchandise. This has not just led to a fall in quality if you ask most customers, but also in a lack of variety and choice for customers. Fanatics' design, stocking and supply decisions essentially control the entire market. That's never good for a customer. It's like a town with only one grocery store or one cellphone service that works.

 

[S E P H]

You've got essentially a trust for the sale of team sports merchandise. This has not just led to a fall in quality if you ask most customers, but also in a lack of variety and choice for customers. Fanatics' design, stocking and supply decisions essentially control the entire market. That's never good for a customer. It's like a town with only one grocery store or one cellphone service that works.

Adidas supposedly didn't like that Fanatics was also selling secondary clothes so they got out of the game as it wasn't worth their venture. In the end, it was going to be a lose-lose, but I much more respect Adidas as a company than "Chinese sweatshop" Fanatics.

 

[varsaku]

Adidas supposedly didn't like that Fanatics was also selling secondary clothes so they got out of the game as it wasn't worth their venture. In the end, it was going to be a lose-lose, but I much more respect Adidas as a company than "Chinese sweatshop" Fanatics.

I can't imagine there are too many authentic jerseys sold to justify the contract's value. It is more in advertisement they get by slapping their logo on the official jerseys worn by players.

 

[KevFu]

Not really. The hats the players get are made in the US, but the rest of us get ones made in China.

Well that's disappointing. When did they leave Buffalo? I know before the switch from wool to polyster it was same stock. Also, damn I'm old.

 

[CorbeauNoir]

but I much more respect Adidas as a company than "Chinese sweatshop" Fanatics.

Is it really any better having them made in an Indonesian sweatshop rather than a Chinese one?

 

[S E P H]

Is it really any better having them made in an Indonesian sweatshop rather than a Chinese one?

Wasn't necessarily talking about the ethics per se, but more in regards to Adidas actually caring about quality assurance and won't do everything to save a single buck. Fanatics are using people who probably haven't seen the English alphabet in their life and why you get numbers pertaining to the wrong player or absolute butchery of surnames.

 

[KevFu]

Again - in what way is it an "unmitigated disaster"?

I know many say the quality isn't as good. I haven't looked closely enough to really say. I own one Fanatics jersey and while it doesn't compare to the 2011 Authentic I own, the quality certainly seems "good enough".

But anyway - even if you accept their quality isn't top notch, in what way is their rise an "unmitigated disaster"?

There's really two different components.

#2 - As a brand for APPAREL, Fanatics is just a terrible company from the quality, customer service, and their monopolistic strategy. As a fan, you're limited in your options for NHL branded gear the more and more Fanatics is involved. And their design is terrible.

#1 - EQUIPMENT vs Apparel. On ice jerseys are more equipment than apparel. Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour are companies that have R&D. They're exploring the tech side of sports clothing for performance gear. The fan jerseys don't need room for pads, or need to wick sweat away.

Fanatics is an apparel company. They're starting that side of their company from scratch; and THAT is a massive concern for the NHL.

 

[KevFu]

Fanatics are using people who probably haven't seen the English alphabet in their life and why you get numbers pertaining to the wrong player or absolute butchery of surnames.

That last part is why I think mistakes like that are way overblown. If the teenagers working at American Taco Bells were transferred to a clothing company putting the names of Cricket players on the back of jerseys in Hindi, they're going to screw up at the same rate.

The REAL question is does Fanatics have a good enough, or staffed enough, quality control department/procedures in place? And I doubt it.

 

[eddygee]

Apparently according to Bettman Nike didn't even put in a bid because they're distancing from Hockey. I'd rather UA got this deal oh well. With no Financials released which is unusual for these types of deals there must of been a sizable decrease hence no Financials leaked as par for these deals. Just a guess I'm guessing around in between the amount Reebok $35m yr was paying before Adidas doubled it $70m yr.

 

[joelef]

Apparently according to Bettman Nike didn't even put in a bid because they're distancing from Hockey. I'd rather UA got this deal oh well. With no Financials released which is unusual for these types of deals there must of been a sizable decrease hence no Financials leaked as par for these deals. Just a guess I'm guessing around in between the amount Reebok $35m yr was paying before Adidas doubled it $70m yr.

Not surprised at all.

 

[Reaser]

Like most, I'm not excited about Fanatics, either. But that's what the major U.S./CAN leagues are now, they're either Nike or Fanatics, or some combo of both. NHL with Adidas is/was the outlier, in a way.

NFL: Nike (Fanatics makes 'authentic' jerseys with Nike logo slapped on it for retail)

NBA: Nike

MLB: Fanatics makes the uniforms and slaps a Nike logo on them.

NHL: Fanatics

If you look at it from the other side, it's Adidas that's left out. Lost NBA to Nike, done with the NHL when the current deal concludes. They're no longer involved in the Big 4. It's Nike and Fanatics that exclusively make up the club of uniform manufacturers for the Big 4 U.S./CAN based leagues.

 

[eddygee]

Like most, I'm not excited about Fanatics, either. But that's what the major U.S./CAN leagues are now, they're either Nike or Fanatics, or some combo of both. NHL with Adidas is/was the outlier, in a way.

NFL: Nike (Fanatics makes 'authentic' jerseys with Nike logo slapped on it for retail)

NBA: Nike

MLB: Fanatics makes the uniforms and slaps a Nike logo on them.

NHL: Fanatics

If you look at it from the other side, it's Adidas that's left out. Lost NBA to Nike, done with the NHL when the current deal concludes. They're no longer involved in the Big 4. It's Nike and Fanatics that exclusively make up the club of uniform manufacturers for the Big 4 U.S./CAN based leagues.

Ummm uh I guess that's a take. I think the big difference is all the other Leagues have main deals outside of Fanatics. So while the each of the other Major leagues use Fanatics as official apparell supplier all have other primary Official League jersey deals. So I don't really see Adidas on the outside if they dropped NHL. Adidas had NHL& MLS prior and NIke MLB & NBA. Adidas was losing money on NHL deal.

So while it's not the end of the world with Fanatics besides passing of fans, we can't really try to turn the slight around and say it's Adidas that lost out. I'm sure NHL would've stayed with Adidas if Adidas wanted to keep the deal, but they didn't. I'd rather have had Under Armour, but as I said I'm another thread yesterday I had a feeling NHL would go with a upstart in the Official League Sponsorship role and said watch it be Fanatics. I just thought it'd be a big bag of dumb cash where it be obvious why the choice was Fanatics rather than all the big players turning down the opportunity to be the Official sponsor i.e Nike and Adidas not bidding. To make matters worse its a long ass deal.

 

[Reaser]

Ummm uh I guess that's a take. I think the big difference is all the other Leagues have main deals outside of Fanatics. So while the each of the other leagues use Fanatics all the other Major Leagues have primary deals. So I don't really see Adidas on the outside if they dropped NHL. Adidas had NHL& MLS prior and NIke MLB & NBA. Adidas was losing money on NHL deal.

So while it's not the end of the world with Fanatics besides passing of fans, we can't really try to turn the slight around and say it's Adidas that lost out. I'm sure NHL would've stayed with Adidas if Adidas wanted to keep the deal, but they didn't. I'd rather have had Under Armour, but as I said I'm another thread yesterday I had a feeling NHL would go with a upstart in the Official League Sponsorship role and said watch it be Fanatics. I just thought it'd be a big bag of dumb cash where it be obvious why the choice was Fanatics rather than all the big players turning down the opportunity to be the Official sponsor i.e Nike and Adidas not bidding. To make matters worse it a long ass deal.

Ummm uh, I was clearly talking about manufacturing the uniforms. Not a "take," twas an accurate statement. It's Nike (NFL, NBA) and Fanatics (NHL, MLB that they put a nike logo on.)

Also didn't say Adidas "lost out," I said left out [of the Big 4,] no longer involved in any of the Big 4. Just Nike and Fanatics are (will be when Adidas NHL deal expires) Big 4 uniform manufacturers/suppliers. Also a straightforward should-be easy to comprehend comment,

Not sure what's confusing about any of that or why the "ummm uh I guess" nonsense 'gotcha' reply open, or why a long tweet about Fanatics deals with leagues that aren't about uniform manufacturing -- which is again, clearly what I was talking about, as it was stated.

 

[joelef]

Like most, I'm not excited about Fanatics, either. But that's what the major U.S./CAN leagues are now, they're either Nike or Fanatics, or some combo of both. NHL with Adidas is/was the outlier, in a way.

NFL: Nike (Fanatics makes 'authentic' jerseys with Nike logo slapped on it for retail)

NBA: Nike

MLB: Fanatics makes the uniforms and slaps a Nike logo on them.

NHL: Fanatics

If you look at it from the other side, it's Adidas that's left out. Lost NBA to Nike, done with the NHL when the current deal concludes. They're no longer involved in the Big 4. It's Nike and Fanatics that exclusively make up the club of uniform manufacturers for the Big 4 U.S./CAN based leagues.

Nike a big mainstream brand doesn’t want anything to do with hockey. Not a good look

 

[Reaser]

Nike a big mainstream brand doesn’t want anything to do with hockey. Not a good look

I'm not a huge Nike fan but for sure.

I'd have even preferred a similar setup to MLB, where the Nike 'swoosh' is actually what goes on the sweater/jersey. From an optics perspective, MLB uniforms are Nike, no one cares -or understands, judging by other response- that Fanatics are the ones actually manufacturing the jerseys. So the NHL deal is obviously a completely different "look" literally and figuratively from being with a brand like Nike. Even though Fanatics will now manufacture uniforms for half of the Big 4 leagues (and retail authentic jerseys for another) I definitely agree it doesn't have the same cachet as "Nike."

 

[IamNotADancer]

I really wish teams could negotiate their own jersey contracts like they do in soccer.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

so they cheaped out on jerseys? lol