Fanatics announces partnership with Panthers, Charlotte’s MLS team

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fanatics announced Wednesday that it would become the official retail partner of Tepper Sports & Entertainment (TSE). The company will operate both online and in-person retail for the Carolina Panthers and for Charlotte’s future MLS team.

Fanatics will allow fans to shop on their desktop, tablet, or phone. The new Panthers online store, shop.panthers.com, is currently live and accessible for fans, while online shopping for TSE’s new MLS expansion team will fall under Fanatics’ operation of MLSShop.com and all of the league’s online team shops.

To celebrate the announcement, the Panthers online store is offering 30% off and free shipping on purchases (some exclusions apply) made on Wednesday.

“We are thrilled to partner with Fanatics to provide a seamless retail experience and a wider variety of products for fans of both the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte MLS franchises,” said Mark Hart, vice president & chief operating officer of Tepper Sports & Entertainment. “Fanatics’ experience in the NFL and MLS provides good synergy across the Tepper Sports & Entertainment platforms and is yet another best-in-class partner for TSE and Bank of America Stadium.”

In addition to online retail, Fanatics will also oversee operations of all retail locations throughout Bank of America Stadium for both the Panthers and Charlotte’s expansion MLS team, including the official team store, kiosks and additional concourse shops.

Fanatics hopes to create experiential retail touchpoints throughout the stadium across multiple technology infusions.

“Fanatics is proud to partner with David Tepper and his talented management team, who have a bold, progressive vision for both the Panthers and their new MLS franchise,” said Gary Gertzog, Fanatics President of Business Affairs. “We see an incredible opportunity to significantly elevate the entire end-to-end retail experience for fans through our connected, tech-infused e-commerce and physical retail offerings, which will be on full display regardless of shopping online, on your phone or at the game.”

Fanatics is the official e-commerce partner of both the NFL and MLS. The Panthers become Fanatics’ 25th NFL partner, nine of which are multi-channel deals, while Charlotte’s new MLS team will mark the company’s 14th MLS omnichannel partner upon the brand’s launch on July 22. Fanatics has recently helped launch full e-commerce and in-venue retail operations for MLS expansion teams Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC).

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