Masanori Kawana, managing director, Fanatics Japan, came to prominence in October when he signed the company’s first vertical merchandising deal in Asia with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Here he speaks to Ben Cronin about the prospects for the company's fast fashion model in Asia.
Our latest on Covid-19
Round-Up: Tokyo Olympic volunteer training restarts, Indonesian football postponed, NZ Golf Open cancelled, and more
Online training sessions for volunteers at next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have resumed following a roughly eight-month suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic - Japan Today
Germany and Switzerland reintroduce spectator ban following Covid spike
Spectators will once again be banned from German and Swiss sports stadiums after the national governments in both countries reintroduced the measure to curb a spike in Covid-19 cases in both countries
A kit of parts | Fanatics shakes up the sports merchandising market
Historians may look back on 2016 as the year the three-way dynamic between sports rights-holders, their official kit suppliers and replica-kit-buying fans was reshaped. Matt Cutler looks at what’s driving change and what the implications could be for the three parties.
Q&A | Ben Morel, NBA managing director, EMEA
Adam Nelson sits down with Ben Morel, the NBA's managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, to discuss how the basketball league is developing its fanbase - and income - overseas.
Lakers smash record for NBA championship merchandise sales
The Los Angeles Lakers are already reaping the commercial rewards of their National Basketball Association Finals victory against the Miami Heat at the weekend
MLB set to open new flagship retail store
New shop part of broader league move into new Manhattan headquarters
LeBron James, Lakers lead NBA jersey sales
The National Basketball Association has announced that the Los Angeles Lakers and the team's superstar LeBron James have topped the league's jersey sales since the 2020 season restart two months ago in…
Fanatics inks decade-long deal with Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
Sports merchandise manufacturer and retailer Fanatics has announced a ten-year deal with Japanese baseball team Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Guy-Laurent Epstein | How technology is driving Uefa marketing
In the latest video interview from SportBusiness, Uefa marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein reflects on the ways in which the governing body has engaged with partners and fans during a year which has seen its major club competitions delayed and international competitions postponed.
Euroleague strives to regain momentum after losing a season to Covid
Barring another Covid-related disaster, EuroLeague's overall revenue will bounce back to about €70m in 2020-21.
From old-school to digital dealing – How Content Arena is supporting sports media’s choking rights market
In spite of an increase in demand and a greater volume of content being available, "the market for trading rights is old-fashioned"
Yahoo Sports looks to operate at center of emerging sports industry trends
Verizon-owned digital sports media outlet looks to be aggressive in areas such as legalized wagering, 5G mobile networks, and virtual reality. Yahoo Sports general manager Geoff Reiss discusses the company's efforts with SportBusiness US Editor Eric Fisher