Fanatics Games to showcase followers in opposition to athletes, get ‘extra individuals to dream’

NEW YORK — A must-attend for sports activities followers, Fanatics Fest NYC will happen at Javits Center from July 16-19.

The inaugural occasion, which came about in August 2024, was an idea conceived, developed and operated by Fanatics, the worldwide sports activities distribution big and NHL companion that was a sports activities followers’ dream.

Major sports activities leagues, hands-on activations, autographs and film periods, panel discussions with athletes and card retailers make for an unforgettable weekend.

So will the Fanatics Games, again for its second yr.

Last yr, 50 followers acquired to compete in opposition to 50 athletes and celebrities in eight occasions throughout all sports activities together with hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling, soccer, golf and combined martial arts. Each individual’s six-best scores among the many eight occasions had been counted, with the winner getting $1 million money, second place getting a Ferrari 812 GTS, and third a LeBron James graded rookie card (value round $250,000). 

Tom Brady was the inaugural winner, with Justin Gaethje of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ending second and fan Matt Dennish taking dwelling the third-place prize. 

“I remember it was when we were putting together Fanatics Fest 1.0 in 2024,” stated Scott Fisher, head of technique for Fanatics occasions. “It was after the Olympics, and we considered, ‘Oh, we should always do the Fanatics Fest Olympics. We ought to have one thing the place individuals compete in all this stuff. It’d be nice. Let’s do it.’ We had pulled collectively that first Fanatics Fest in 4 months, and that was perhaps a bridge too far to attempt to do (the video games) the primary yr, however it was all the time one thing that was behind our minds.

“How do you do something that is a competition that gets athletes to go experience all of the different leagues at Fanatics Fest? The experience of Fanatics Fest is it’s all sports in all these leagues. And so how do we kind of create something that sits across all of it? So, that’s how it started.”

Brady and Gaethje will return, becoming a member of John Cena, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rob Gronkowski, David Ortiz, James Harden and Jaxson Dart amongst a couple of of the athletes who will participate this yr. Gold-medal successful defenseman Megan Keller of the United States girls’s Olympic hockey crew may even be within the competitors.

In addition, NHL gamers Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes and Brock Nelson, who additionally gained gold on the 2026 Winter Olympics, and Hockey Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time targets chief, can be a few of the hockey players in attendance all through the weekend.

Fans had been capable of apply by way of video submission in addition to at qualifiers held at Dick’s Sporting Goods across the nation. There had been greater than 10 occasions the variety of candidates this yr than final.

“I think part of the magic of that is, you’re going to get to see all these things at different moments,” Fisher stated. “And it challenges all these athletes who feel like little kids again. Like, ‘Oh, I haven’t had to play hockey in a while, or I haven’t had to kick field goals.’ And because it’s all those new skills, it’s super compelling for the fans and the athletes competing. And the prizes are no joke.”

This yr, the primary prize is once more $1 million. Second prize is a 2025 Ferrari, and third place receives a Lionel Messi Patch autograph (value $250,000). There additionally can be different prizes, awarded to the highest fan, if none end within the high three, in addition to to the highest feminine competitor.

Last yr, Dennish was one in every of a number of followers who greater than held their very own in opposition to the largest athletes on the earth, a number of of whom have been invited again to compete this yr.

“We had six fans in the top 10 last year, so, even though the top two were athletes in Tom Brady and Justin Gaethje, we found that the fans actually did even better,” Fisher stated. “And that I feel is so cool within the magic of this factor, is that it makes these followers slots much more beneficial, and every fan, with the way in which Tom did issues final yr, he gave $5,000 to every fan who competed. For Dennish, who acquired third place, he acquired $250,000. That was life-changing for him. And so to have the ability to create that, I feel it simply makes it much more thrilling with what this may be, and a possibility for followers to do one thing that simply would not exist wherever else.

“That was important for us to invite them back. Let’s start to build those stories.”

This yr, the present ground can be totally different and constructed across the video games in order that athletes can transfer by, making a Walk of Fame, the place followers can high-five them and take photos. Most of the areas the place the occasions are may even have seating for followers to look at.

Some video games had been additionally adjusted to make the enjoying subject extra stage. For occasion, the NFL passing competitors from final yr can be a subject purpose kick this yr. And NHL contributors will try to shoot a puck by a tiny gap in a internet, as seen at many video games throughout intermission. 

The 2025 occasion of taking pictures a puck right into a dryer proved a problem for a lot of.

“We want fans to have a chance,” Fisher stated. “We’re leaning into things like money balls and other super-exciting things that have a chance to make this really play well on social media and really give fans a chance to do well if they’re not a professional in a certain sport.”

The scoring may even be out of 10 as a substitute of 100 this yr, and all the occasion can be accessible for followers to look at (youtube.com/fanatics/dwell) if they can not attend, with expertise resembling Noah Eagle, Matthew Berry, Maria Taylor and Chiney Ogwumike. The competitors is scheduled to start out on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

“There is a livestream that will be on YouTube and Twitch,” Fisher stated. “And for us, the focus on that was this is a sporting event that people should want to watch. This is something that’s exciting, and it’s something that, honestly, it’s like a golf tournament. You’re not able to be at all 18 holes at once, so it become a much better TV or streaming experience.”

One factor is definite — will probably be a memorable weekend at Fanatics Fest no matter who wins the Fanatics Games.

Fisher stated, “Getting extra individuals to dream, ‘Can I be the subsequent Matt Dennish, along with, ‘Can I be the subsequent Tom Brady, or Jack Hughes?’

“For us, I think this is just naturally something that should continue to build and should spin off, should stay part of Fanatics Fest, but can also stand alone as its own property and something that should be on TV moving forward.”