The Yomiuri Giants, Nike and Fanatics have confirmeded a comprehensive new long-term global partnership – adopting an innovative licensed sports merchandise model that will enhance the fan experience for the most successful Japanese baseball team in history.
The new exclusive partnership between the three organisations will see Nike become the official uniform supplier of the Yomiuri Giants.
Fanatics will manufacture and distribute on-field uniforms and player performance items, as well as additional Nike-branded fan jerseys and apparel that are sold both online and at physical retail locations. Fanatics will also tap its memorabilia division to create and offer unique autograph and collectable products for fans to celebrate the team and players.
The Yomiuri Giants will become the first individual club in global sport to adopt the model, which has already proven successful for all parties in similar partnerships between Nike and Fanatics with major professional leagues and Universities in the US.
The long-term partnership will see Fanatics exclusively operate the e-commerce and physical retail business for the Yomiuri Giants, with Fanatics launching a new online store at the end of January and refurbishing the retail stores at the Tokyo Dome, ready for the start of the NPB 2023 season.
In addition, Fanatics will also become the master licensee for the Yomiuri Giants merchandise portfolio, with the club taking advantage of Fanatics’ innovative vertical commerce manufacturing model.
“It is a great honour and pleasure to partner with Fanatics, the global leader in licensed sports merchandise,” commented Tsukasa Imamura, representative director and president of Yomiuri Giants. “We can imagine the joy on our fans’ faces brought by the innovative business model, which includes manufacturers, logistics, e-commerce, and retailers using cutting-edge technology.
“By combining Fanatics’ fan-centric philosophy of ‘everything exists for the fans’ with the history and tradition of Yomiuri Giants, celebrating 89 years since the team’s founding, we are confident that we can provide one of the best fan experiences in the world. Please look forward to this innovative partnership between Yomiuri Giants, Nike, and Fanatics, the first of its kind in the world for an individual club.”
Doug Mack, vice chairman of Fanatics and ceo of Fanatics Commerce, continued: “For a club as prestigious as the Yomiuri Giants to put its faith in Fanatics is testament to the success of this game changing model we have built with Nike and to our focus on always putting the fan first.”
Masanori Kawana, md of Fanatics in East Asia, concluded: “Since we began our journey in Asia five years ago, we focused on creating value for the fans with a strong belief that our global vertical business model would benefit them and work across Asia. Collaborating with the Giants has been an ambition for me personally and I am thrilled to announce this global partnership.”
Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow @LicensingSource on Twitter and @licensing_source on Instagram.
