AusLeisure

Global digital sports platform, Fanatics, has partnered with AFL team Essendon Football Club - one of Australia’s oldest and most successful sports clubs – marking Fanatics’ first ever partnership with an AFL team.

Fanatics and Essendon Football Club entered into an exclusive long-term eCommerce partnership to enhance the fan experience for Bombers fans worldwide.  

The partnership builds upon Fanatics’ landmark league deal with the AFL, which was announced earlier this year and will offer fans of Australian rules football worldwide among the largest assortment of officially licensed AFL merchandise ever made available.  

The deal, which includes opening a fully refreshed online store, will offer Essendon fans a full assortment of officially licensed Bombers merchandise, including guernseys, training wear, headwear, fan apparel, official Essendon member apparel and accessories.

Fanatics partners with more than 900 of the largest sporting organisations in the world, including the AFL, the International Cricket Council (ICC), Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, LALIGA, Atletico Madrid, The International Olympic Committee (IOC), UEFA, NFL, NBA, NHL and Formula 1.

Dating back to 1871, and one of the founding teams of Australian rules football, Essendon Football Club is a club with a storied history that is renowned for its rich family heritage, innovation of the game and its passionate fans. With 16 premierships under its belt, the Essendon Football Club has been a leader in its league for leveraging sport to connect with community and creating an unrivalled experience for their fans.  

The Bomber Shop, which is now live, will utilise Fanatics’ market-leading Cloud Commerce Platform (CCP), providing Bombers fans with a best-in-class shopping experience, whether shopping online or via mobile, featuring hi-resolution product displays, frictionless checkout, multiple language options and the quickest access to new product offerings.

Speaking on the partnership, Ryan Larkin, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Essendon Football Club shared “Fanatics has a truly global reach and partner network, which will allow us to reach our fans no matter where they might be in the world and take our fan experience to the next level. We are excited to work closely alongside the team at Fanatics, offering a wide assortment of merchandise and utilising Fanatics’ extensive industry expertise, to better serve Bomber fans.  

Tyler Emsden, Director of Business Development, Australia & New Zealand at Fanatics enthused “we are thrilled to be working alongside the team at Essendon Football Club to offer the very best eCommerce experience for their loyal and passionate fans. We look forward to helping Essendon forge closer links with fans across the globe, helping them to showcase their pride through our industry-leading range of licensed merchandise.”  

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, teams, players associations, athletes, celebrities, colleges, and college conferences.  

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