Tag: Fanatics

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams dives into the end zone to celebrate scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.

Lions are Super Bowl favorites for first time ever

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Kansas City Chiefs finally took their first loss of the season on Sunday, and while 9-1 is still a strong record to have, it caused a noteworthy shift in the NFL landscape.

The Detroit Lions surpassed the Chiefs to become the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl at several sportsbooks — for the first time in the woebegone franchise’s history.

The Chiefs were the unchallenged favorites to win Super Bowl LIX ever since notching their second straight championship last February. They remained atop odds boards despite several shaky performances and near-losses throughout their first nine games.

Before the Chiefs lost 30-21 to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Lions steamrolled the Jacksonville Jaguars 52-6, scoring touchdowns on their first seven drives and never punting. Jared Goff had 412 passing yards and four touchdowns in the Lions’ eighth straight victory.

That combination of events put Detroit, a franchise that had not won a playoff game between 1991 and 2023, over the top.

“For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Lions are now the favorites (+400) to win the Super Bowl,” Fanatics Sportsbook posted on social media Monday.

At BetMGM, the Lions are a mere +325 to win the Super Bowl, with the Chiefs at +450. They’re the +350 favorites at both Fanduel Sportsbook and DraftKings, with Kansas City running second (+500 at Fanduel, +450 at DraftKings).

The Bills, who improved to 9-2 by beating the rival Chiefs, sit third on the board at each of those sportsbooks — +600 at DraftKings, +650 at Fanduel and +700 at BetMGM.

–Field Level Media

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. poses after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals as the No. 4 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Fanatics sues Marvin Harrison Jr.

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Sports collectibles and apparel merchandiser Fanatics is suing wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., alleging breach of contract, multiple outlets reported.

The lawsuit was filed Saturday in New York Supreme Court against Harrison, who was selected No. 4 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in last month’s NFL Draft.

Per a Sunday report from The Athletic, Harrison initially signed a limited, non-exclusive promotion and license agreement with Fanatics while he played for Ohio State. The parties then negotiated a longer contract with Harrison, which included what the filing called “significant” compensation, with both sides signing off on it in May 2023.

In the lawsuit, reviewed by The Athletic, Fanatics charges that Harrison hasn’t lived up to his end of the contract, despite receiving paychecks last August and October, and that he has denied he had an agreement with the company.

While details of the purported agreement, including his contractual obligations, were redacted in the suit, ESPN reported that a source earlier this month said Harrison agreed to signing autographs and trading cards, providing game-worn apparel and “other marketing opportunities.” The Athletic said Harrison has ignored requests from Fanatics to fulfill that the company says exists.

Fanatics is seeking a jury trial and estimates in potential losses as totaling “millions of dollars.”

Harrison also has not yet signed the NFL Players Association’s group licensing agreement, which is holding up the sale of his licensed jerseys and other memorabilia.

Anyone itching to buy Harrison gear can do so at The Official Harrison Collection, a website that sells autographed jerseys, helmets, photos, mini-helmets and such. There also are limited items signed by his father, Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., on the site.

–Field Level Media

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams holds up his jersey after being selected by the Chicago Bears as the No. 1 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Bears’ Caleb Williams breaks Caitlin Clark’s merch sales record

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 1 pick Caleb Williams is breaking records before setting foot in Chicago.

The Bears selected the quarterback first in the NFL draft on Thursday night and his merchandise on Fanatics, including jerseys and other apparel, set the record for draft night sales in any sport, according to multiple reports.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, had broken the existing record 10 days earlier when her No. 22 jersey sold out in a matter of hours.

The alternate orange jersey was the only version of Williams’ new duds that was still available on Friday morning, and exclusively in size 2XL. His navy jersey was available only in youth sizes.

Williams switched from his jersey number at USC (13) to No. 18 with the Bears, the team announced Thursday night.

Newly acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen, traded to the Bears by the Los Angeles Chargers, is expected to wear No. 13.

Quarterbacks Mike Tomczak and Kyle Orton previously wore No. 18 for the Bears, as did wide receiver Dante Pettis more recently.

–Field Level Media

Jan 24, 2021, Green Bay, WI, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) exalts during the presentation off the George Halas Trophy after their NFC Championship game Sunday, January 24, 2021 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Green Bay Packers 31-26. Mandatory credit: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK

Tom Brady merchandise sets sales record

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Record-setting quarterback Tom Brady is at it again, this time without even lifting a finger.

Fanatics, the NFL’s official e-commerce partner, said the six-time Super Bowl champion, who is in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has become their best-selling NFL player ever for the two-week period between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

Tampa is the top-selling market for Brady merchandise, followed by New York, Orlando, Boston and Miami.

The retailer didn’t release official sales figures but noted that the Northeast market is contributing to the Brady spree. The New England Patriots failed to make the playoffs last year after Brady led them to six wins in nine trips to the Super Bowl during his 20 years with the franchise.

The Buccaneers face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Super Bowl LV.

“We are seeing record-breaking sales from Tom,” Jack Boyle, Fanatics’ co-president of consumer retail, for Fanatics told The New York Post.

Fanatics had numerous Brady jerseys for sale on Tuesday night, including the red, black and white versions that had Super Bowl patches, selling for between $90 and $120 depending on whether the jersey was cut for a child, man or woman.

Boyle expects sales to escalate if the Buccaneers win, as fans of winning teams tend to buy apparel to commemorate a championship season. Tampa Bay hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 2003.

“We are preparing for both teams’ championship, and we anticipated Tampa Bay’s sales would be higher,” he said.

The sales of Brady’s merchandise, which includes jerseys, T-shirts and other items, are more than double what they were following his last AFC conference title game appearance as a Patriot following the 2018 regular season, when he led New England to an overtime win over the Chiefs.

Fanatics also said it took just three days after this year’s NFC conference title game for sales to hit what they did in the full two-week period in 2018.

“It’s a phenomenon we have never seen before,” Boyle told The New York Post.

Top players typically account for 20 percent of a team’s sales, but never 50 percent, which is the case with Brady’s merchandise compared to the sales of his teammates’ apparel and merchandise, he added.

Brady’s No.12 Bucs jersey was Fanatics’ No. 1-selling jersey across all sports from last Aug. 1 to Nov. 1, while the NFLPA lists him as second in sales for the whole 2020 season, behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Brady has the NFLPA’s highest-selling jersey with the Patriots in 2018 and 2019, but his jersey sales skyrocketed 900 percent since he signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay last March.

Before his arrival, the Buccaneers didn’t have a single player in the top 50 in NFLPA jersey sales in 2018 or 2019.

–Field Level Media