Fanatics Acquires Latin American Sports Wholesaler Fexpro
Fanatics is expanding its reach in Latin America.
The digital sports platform and licensed sports merchandise company on Tuesday completed the acquisition of Fexpro, a leading wholesaler of licensed sports and branded apparel in Latin America. Terms were not disclosed.
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Headquartered in Panama, Fexpro is a licensee for several major U.S. sports leagues in Latin America, including the NFL, NBA and MLB. It also works with top international soccer clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, as well as sportswear brand Umbro.
Fexpro will join the Fanatics Commerce division and its 100-plus employees will continue to report to Alberto Bassan, chief executive officer, who will remain with the company. He, in turn, will now report to Joe Monahan, global president of Fanatics Brands.
“Alberto and the team have built a strong wholesale business that complements many of Fanatics Brands’ capabilities that have been scaled globally over the past decade,” Monahan said. “Fexpro has a proven track record of strong distribution capabilities across multiple channels and retailers in the region, reaching more than 2,400 retail doors throughout Latin America. The company provides Fanatics with a solid framework for additional wholesale growth as we continually look to expand our international footprint, for the benefit of our global partners and sports fans around the world.”
Bassan added: “This deal marks a fantastic opportunity for us to further grow our business and better serve our partners, with the support of a global company that has continually innovated for sports fans over the past decade. Fanatics has transformed the way quality fan gear and apparel is designed, manufactured and delivered through its innovative vertical commerce model. With access to Fanatics’ capabilities, global infrastructure and unparalleled relationships across the world of sport, we will be able to provide value for our partners like never before.”
This is the latest international deal for the U.S.-based Fanatics. Earlier this year, it acquired Italian omnichannel sports retailer EPI, which operates the retail and third-party logistics for many of Italy’s leading soccer clubs including Inter Milan, Juventus, A.C. Milan as well as the Italian National Football Team.
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