Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin’s historic march by means of the sports activities enterprise is taking one other massive step — this time into the profitable world of reside occasions.

On Thursday, Fanatics introduced an fairness cope with Endeavor-owned IMG to create Fanatics Events, a brand new live-events enterprise. Majority-owned by Fanatics, the enterprise will start with a deal with sports activities collectibles earlier than broadening by means of “acquisitions, joint ventures, and new event launches.”

Lance Fensterman was newly employed as CEO of Fanatics Events after a previous position main popular culture occasions enterprise ReedPop, which produces main occasions such because the New York Comic Con. Fensterman is happy to supply “an opportunity to celebrate all aspects of fandom.”

After experiencing a battering through the pandemic, the reside occasions enterprise has rebounded sharply over the previous 12 months, with main occasions just like the NFL’s Super Bowl Experience in 2023 drawing a few of their largest crowds in years and leagues such because the NBA aggressively creating new occasions.

The effort is merely the most recent growth for Fanatics because it continues to develop exponentially past its origins in sports activities merchandising trading cards, worldwide gross sales, collectibles auctions, content, and sports betting — all whereas constructing its firm valuation to a stratospheric $31 billion.

Most lately, Fanatics fended off a rival bid from DraftKings to complete its $225 million acquisition of the U.S. property of PointsBet, a transfer accelerating the corporate’s sportsbook operations.