Fanatics will make NHL uniforms after Adidas contract expires, marking the e-commerce company’s first branded product for a major sports league
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Fanatics will be the new supplier of on-ice uniforms for the NHL starting with the 2024-25 season.
The American retailer of licensed sportswear and sports merchandise is replacing Adidas, which has one season left on its seven-year deal with the NHL. Adidas had previously announced that they would not renew their deal.
The new contract will last for 10 years.
Fanatics will also produce the on-ice uniforms for NHL officials and authentic jerseys to be sold at retail.
A source told Insider that Fanatics will also work directly with the teams and league to design the new jerseys.
“This expansion of our partnership with Fanatics is a reflection of our shared commitment to innovation, performance, and serving our players and fans,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “Our players and fans should look forward to what Fanatics will bring to the best uniforms in all of sports.”
Fanatics is not new to the world of professional hockey. They have been an NHL partner since 2005, including making and supplying Authentic Pro performance and training products for the league and running its online retail site. They have also produced the NHL’s replica jerseys since 2017 and provided the on-ice apparel and hats for the Stanley Cup champions.
They are also not new to the world of manufacturing major sports uniforms, a market traditionally dominated in North America by the likes of Nike, Adidas, and Reebok. Fanatics purchased longtime MLB partner Majestic in 2017. Even though Nike acquired the uniform rights and their swoosh has been displayed on MLB uniforms since 2020, they are produced by Fanatics.
However, unlike the new deal with the NHL, Nike has worked with the teams to design the new uniforms. So this will be the first time that Fanatics will be involved in the uniform design for a major sports league.
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin recently sold his ownership stake in the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, saying at the time that Fanatics had become too big for him to run the company and own teams.
“This is a seminal moment in the history of Fanatics, and a testament to the hands-on, collaborative relationship with the NHL that we’ve built over the years,” Rubin said about the partnership with the NHL. “Everything we do as a company pushes the boundaries to create more highly engaged experiences and revolutionary products for fans, athletes, and partners, and I can’t wait to see our brand on official on-ice uniforms for the first time.”