Michael Rubin, the founder and CEO of Fanatics, presides over a growing entertainment empire. The mogul has cultivated a growing Rolodex of A-listers and created a hit pop culture live events business. Now Fanatics wants to be a studio, too. The biggest sports upset of the year may have come from Justin Bieber. Days before the music superstar performed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup halftime show, Bieber was a last-minute entrant into the Fanatics Games, an event that pits celebrities like Kevin Hart and DJ Khaled up against athletes like Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic and Victor Wembanyama as well as against 50 regular fans, competing in a bevy of sports-related challenges inside New York’s Jacob Javits Center for a $1 million grand prize provided by Fanatics. Bieber wasn’t planning to participate, but after he entered, he dominated the field, beating not only the 50 participating fans but the athletes too, including Brady, the returning champion. In the FIFA World Cup area, Bieber showed off his soccer skills, scoring as Djokovic and Brady looked on slack-jawed. “I never expected Justin to win the Fanatics games. That was a stunner to me. I still think about that once or twice a day, like, holy fuck,” quips Michael Rubin, the founder and CEO of Fanatics, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t believe he just came in there … I knew he said he was athletic, but who would have thought?” Justin Bieber competed in a bevy of sports-related challenges at Fanatics Games inside New York’s Javits Center.Dave Kotinsky/
Michael Rubin is cleverly leveraging Fanatics' massive footprint in sports to pivot into broader entertainment and media. His ability to synthesize sports, commerce, and celebrity culture suggests he is building a modern-day conglomerate far beyond just apparel.
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