Autographs
Fanatics Fest NYC returns with bigger lineup, 500 stars for three-day card show, sports festival
Fanatics Fest NYC is back for a second time. Expect it to be even bigger than last year.
This year’s event, scheduled for June 20-22 at the Javits Center in New York City, will be highlighted by 500 athletes, celebrities and artists to what Fanatics calls “the ultimate sports, culture and collecting festival.”
“We came out of the show last year feeling like we proved an idea. We put something original into the world that fans, brands, athletes responded to,” said Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events.
Fanatics Fest is a unique festival where fans can come together to celebrate both the sports they love and collecting. The inaugural event last August drew more than 70,000 people and delivered on the glitz and glamour Fanatics promised.
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MAKING IMPROVEMENTS
Fanatics has learned much over the last 10 months regarding what it takes to put on such a massive show. As a result, the autograph pavilion will be moved to a lower floor, Festerman said, leaving the “larger footprint” with more space and fewer bottlenecks.
“One of the things we wanted to fix was there wasn’t enough room in the autograph and photo section,” he said. “Lines were out of control. Timing was a challenge. We moved that downstairs, and essentially, I think, more than quadrupled the amount of space that's dedicated to it.”
Autograph guests once again include a star-studded lineup from the sports world and celebrities. The list includes first-time Fanatics Fest appearances by Lebron James, Victor Wembanyama and Jayden Daniels. Returning guests include Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, and Eli and Peyton Manning.
The list includes many current athletes and Hall of Famers as a result of moving the date up two months from August to June.
“There’s no perfect date, but moving the day forward really did help us with current NFL players and created some challenges in other places,” Fensterman said. “But I think we have a really well-rounded guest list.”
Another issue during last summer’s inaugural event was the various league and corporate activations being located separately from the card and collectables section. This time, Fanatics arranged the floor so that cards and collectibles are a more integral part of the entire show.
With more space added, Fanatics said attendees, which could top 100,000, can expect plenty of what we saw last year, including a card show, panel discussions, and a larger superstore as fans and collectors were able to engage and interact with some of the biggest stars in sports.
“We’ve got more space, probably 40% more space, and we're expecting probably 40% more people,” he added. “We have more space, more stuff, more ticket sales, and we’re hoping and believe we'll have a significantly larger audience as well.”
PANELS, ATHLETES, CARDS
This larger audience will again be able to attend Q&A and panel discussions, including ones featuring actor Kevin Costner of “Field of Dreams” fame and one on the New York Yankees highlighted by Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and film director Spike Lee.
Major sports leagues—NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS—along with WWE, which proved to be one of the most popular areas last year, will return with activations.
“We have a great relationship with WWE, so there’s just a lot of seamless kind of integration with them,” Fensterman said.
Fanatics said there will also be new booths, including FIFA, England’s Premier League, U.S. Tennis Association, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nike and Raising Canes.
Fensterman called these new additions “some really cool, fan-focused brands that are going to engage and excite the audience.”
Like last year, exclusive card products will also be rolled out, including 2025 Topps Series 2 Fanatics Fest Boxes and special Formula One cards.
The show will also pit fans against stars like Brady and Rodriguez. The new skills competition includes $2 million in prizes, including a $1 million cash prize for first place, a Ferrari 812 GTS for second, and a Lebron James collectors card worth $250,000 for third.
If no attendees finish in the top three, the highest-scoring fan will receive $100,000. If a celebrity comes in first, they take home the seven-figure prize.
FUTURE EXPANSION
While Fanatics’ aim has always been to make this a traveling convention, plans to hold it in Pittsburgh and Orlando last year were eventually put on hold.
“I think once we staged Fanatics Fest last year, it became clear where we needed to focus,” he said.
Fensterman said the plan is for his team to “talk about” future Fanatics Fests once this one comes to an end.
“Did fans love this? Did brands and leagues love this? Did the athletes love this? We have to ask that,” he said. “Let's think about other places. Then we can see where could this grow.”
Fanatics Fest NYC tickets are available at fanaticsfest.com/tickets.
Clemente Lisi
