Fanatics has become one of the most influential companies in sports, building out a massive merchandise, collectibles and sports gambling platform.
Founder and CEO Michael Rubin sees even more growth ahead, predicting at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit that Fanatics could be "the most valuable company in sports." But that growth in sports will come without pushes into ticketing and broadcasting.
Since founding Fanatics in 2011, Michael Rubin has built the company from a small online retailer of sports merchandise and apparel into a massive global sports platform.
Not only is Fanatics by far the largest player in sports apparel, with deals with nearly every major league on the planet, but it also now has a substantial footprint in collectibles, sports betting, and prediction markets.
The company is even launching its own branded credit card this year.
Fanatics' wide net across sports and sports fandom came to life this week at the annual Fanatics Fest, the company's effort to create a Comic Con-style event for sports fans that is now in its third year.
Rubin, speaking with CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit on Thursday, held alongside Fanatics Fest in New York City, said that the company expected more than 200,000 people to attend the event over its four-day run.
That is on top of the more than 150 million fans that are now customers of Fanatics somewhere across its various sports-focused businesses, whether that's from buying a jersey, trading cards, or placing a bet.
Rubin also stated that Fanatics will not pursue ticketing and live sports broadcasting, as these are complicated and competitive businesses.
"We don't want to be big; we want to be beloved," Rubin said.
