BUSINESS

Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin on two sports businesses his multibillion-dollar conglomerate won't enter

Michael Rubin, Founder and CEO of Fanatics, speaking at the CNBC Game Plan Summit in New York City on July 16th, 2026. Since founding Fanatics in 2011, Michael Rubin has built the company from a small online retailer of sports merchandise and apparel into a massive global sports platform. Not only is Fanatics by far the largest player in sports apparel, with deals with nearly every major league on the planet, but it also now has a substantial footprint in collectibles, sports betting, and prediction markets. The company is even launching its own branded credit card this year. Fanatics’ wide net across sports and sports fandom came to life this week at the annual Fanatics Fest, the company’s effort to create a Comic Con-style event for sports fans that is now in its third year. Rubin, speaking with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit on Thursday, held alongside Fanatics Fest in New York City, said that the company expected more than 200,000 people to attend the event over its four-day run. That is on top of the more than 150 million fans that are now customers of Fanatics somewhere across its various sports-focused businesses, whether that’s from buying a jersey, trading cards, or placing a bet. The CNBC Sport newsletter with Alex Sherman brings you the biggest news and exclusive interviews from the worlds of sports business and media, delivered weekly to your inbox.

October 14, 2026CNBC
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Michael Rubin’s strategic restraint regarding which businesses to enter demonstrates a clear long-term vision for Fanatics. By focusing on core sports-related verticals, he ensures the company maintains its current market dominance without overextending.

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News Analysis: Amid the Chargers' chaos, one thing is certain: Justin Herbert won't be traded

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert reacts during a loss to the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 11. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times) This is not the perfect spiral the Chargers were expecting. It's a downward one. Week after week, loss after loss. They are 0-6 for the first time since 2000, back when Jim Harbaugh was one of their quarterbacks, not their head coach. So even though they're rested after a week off, they're also on edge heading into Sunday's game against the Rams. On the outside, speculation has been swirling for weeks about what the sinking franchise can do — not so much to stop its current slide, as the season is already shot, but moving forward beyond this year. So far, the switch to Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator has been disastrous, and there's even conjecture the team could look to trade quarterback Justin Herbert, who has gone eight consecutive games with at least as many interceptions as touchdowns in each. The franchise is built around Herbert, mind you, and Harbaugh has predicted he'll one day be regarded as the best quarterback in NFL history. So the notion of trading him is beyond blasphemous. That's not to say clubs don't make dramatic and surprising moves. With the trade deadline a week from Tuesday, the 2-5 Indianapolis Colts are already starting to disassemble their roster. Last week, they traded eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle, and dealt star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to San Francisco, the team that drafted him.

Justin Herbert· Los Angeles Chargers
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