Fanatics bets on Italian soccer with EPI deal

EPI (Holdings)

05/04/2023 06:55

LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) - U.S. sports merchandise
retailer Fanatics Inc will run the official online stores of
Italy's national soccer team and seven Serie A teams, through
its acquisition of Italian sports e-commerce firm EPI, its first
foray into the Italian market.
    The deal, which has not previously been reported, will also
see Fanatics take over the running of in-stadium stores for AC
Milan, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and Bologna.
    Fanatics manufactures and sells licensed merchandise for the
National Football League, National Hockey League, and Major
League Baseball in the U.S. and has been growing in Britain and
Europe since buying British sports retailer Kitbag in 2016. 
    "Serie A has so many successful teams that I think are
essential to have as part of a global partner roster," said Doug
Mack, CEO of Fanatics Commerce and vice-chairman of Fanatics.
    EPI, previously owned by Italian private equity firm
Quadrivio Group's "Industry 4.0" fund, operates the official
online stores of AC Milan, Atalanta, Bologna, Fiorentina, Inter
Milan, Juventus, Lazio, and Italy's national soccer federation
FIGC. 
    The deal will make it easier for fans outside Italy to buy
official merchandise, Mack said. Fanatics did not give a value
for the deal.
    Fanatics, a private company backed by investors including
Softbank, was valued at $31 billion in its most recent funding
round in December 2022. The company says its merchandise
business will bring in sales of $6 billion this year. 
    The acquisition comes as Italian soccer enjoys a resurgence:
Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Napoli are all in the Champions
League quarter-finals, the first time since 2005-2006 that three
Italian clubs have made it that far in the competition. 
    As part of the deal, EPI's name will change to Fanatics
Italy and all 150 of its employees will join the group. 

 (Reporting by Helen Reid
Editing by Toby Davis)
 ((Helen.Reid@thomsonreuters.com; +27 66 156 5214;))