Fanatics is officially entering the entertainment business. The Michael Rubin-led sports powerhouse has partnered with OBB Media to launch Fanatics Studios, a new joint venture designed to become a leading global content studio focused on sports and culture. The venture will create, finance, produce, and distribute original content across formats including scripted and unscripted series, feature films, digital content, and live events.
Michael D. Ratner, founder and CEO of OBB Media, will also serve as CEO of Fanatics Studios while retaining his leadership at OBB. According to Ratner, this is not a soft launch or a vanity play. The studio is already operational, with a pipeline that he says could generate over nine figures in revenue during its first year. He stated the goal is to build a studio that is not just a player in the space but the preeminent destination for sports-driven storytelling.
Fanatics Studios will begin operations with a robust content slate already in motion. The studio is producing a behind-the-scenes docuseries following Tom Brady as he prepares to play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi Arabia and potentially make a run at the 2028 Olympics, where flag football will be introduced. It is also producing the official LA28 Olympic film, which is planned for a theatrical release.
In addition, the studio will produce a docuseries centered on the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Through a partnership with ESPN, Fanatics Studios is also set to co-produce the 2026 ESPY Awards alongside Full Day Productions. Over the next two years, the studio will deliver more content for ESPN, including additional episodes of the Fanatics Fest docuseries.
Fanatics Studios is also expanding into WWE content. The company is partnering with WWE to create and produce a wide array of digital programming and podcasts, including shows hosted by Cody Rhodes, The Undertaker, Stephanie McMahon, Megan Morant, and Sam Roberts. A new food travel show titled YEE(A)T featuring the Usos is also in development.
The joint venture builds on an existing relationship between Fanatics and OBB Media. The two companies previously collaborated on Fanatics Fest, a pop culture and sports live event in New York. They also signed a 10-year extension to their creative partnership last year.
Rubin positioned the launch of Fanatics Studios as a key strategic move to expand Fanatics’ influence across the broader sports ecosystem. Already dominant in merchandise, collectibles through Topps, sports betting, and prediction markets, Fanatics is now taking a full step into original content. He described the venture as a way to deepen fan engagement and create storytelling opportunities that reinforce the company’s already expansive presence in the industry.
Ratner emphasized the studio’s ambition to create repeatable IP and franchises that benefit from Fanatics’ reach and infrastructure. He said the Flag Football Classic is a strong example of how the company intends to build formats that can scale over time and drive consistent fan engagement.
In a media environment where sports and culture continue to converge, Fanatics Studios is making a serious play to own the space. With strategic partners already in place and content in production, the studio enters the market as a fully formed, revenue-generating operation with the infrastructure and relationships to compete immediately.
