Sports merchandising giant Fanatics are continuing the global expansion of their company by acquiring Italian sports merchandising firm Epi and signing agreements with several Serie A football clubs. Fans of the clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, and Lazio can now benefit from Fanatics’ worldwide retail network.
EPI’s CEO Lorenzo Forte along with its 150-plus employees will continue on as part of the agreement and Fanatics anticipates it will expand the staff as they sign new team deals and involve other sports in Italy, such as rugby and motor racing. In addition, Fanatics’ responsible for the production, e-commerce, and event operations. They’ll also take on the footwear and apparel retailer Pitch Football Store.
Doug Mack, Fanatics Commerce’s CEO stated “We’ll be investing millions of dollars in capital in advancing that team. With it comes a great roster of partners.”
The international expansion of Fanatics is driven by the company’s growing presence in Europe and Asia, in addition to the United States where they serve Major League Baseball, National Football League and other sporting leagues. Financial terms of Fanatics’ purchase of Epi have not been disclosed, but EPI has reported to have generated more than $50 million in sales for the year 2022.
Fanatics is a digital technology company that provides immense amounts of licensed sports merchandise for various leagues, teams and athletes. They have become a frontrunner for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) after the company achieved a $31 billion valuation when raising funds.
Doug Mack is the Chief Executive Officer of Fanatics. Prior to his work at Fanatics, he ran multiple businesses within the retail industry such as LinkedIn, LivingSocial and Luxe. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Directors at The Home Depot, a leading home-improvement store. As CEO of Fanatics, his goal is to maintain its position as the leader of sports merchandise while continuing the company’s expansion into new markets.
Lorenzo Forte is the CEO of sports merchandising firm Epi, which was closely held by its management and Quadrivio Group’s Industry 4.0 private equity fund. His role as CEO includes managing all 150-plus employees and continuing to expand the firm’s deals with Italian football (Soccer) clubs, along with investing more capital into the team. Working closely with industry leader Fanatics, he ensures that Epi’s business is successfully running and managing the entire production, e-commerce, and events operations.
