Fanatics Games pitting elite athletes in decathlon-style multi-sport competiton against average Joes

Fanatics Games will bring together 50 everyday fans and a total group of 50 athletes, celebrities and creators once more, and they plan on making the competition bigger, faster and more competitive than it was in 2025. And fans who wish to participate and can’t make the in-person qualifiers will still be able to send in a video application like last year, showcasing their skills and sharing why they feel they deserve to compete. The NFL on Thursday announced new sportsbook partnerships, with Fanatics joining DraftKings and FanDuel as official betting operators of the league. Fanatics is combining its sportsbook, casino and prediction markets into one app, Fanatics Betting and Gaming CEO Matt King exclusively tells Axios. Fanatics has launched a unified mobile app that combines its sportsbook, online casino, and prediction-market products in a bid to become a broader super app for sports fans.

Fans who finished in the top 10 spots are expected to return in 2026, raising the stakes even higher. Standard goals are worth 2 points each, while the Money Ball goal earns 5 points. Players take five shots against a live goalkeeper before attempting one final Money Ball shot through a half-sized goal.

The Fanatics Games are going to offer the chance for everyday folks to test their athletic skills against some of the greatest to play those sports. He outscored athletes such as James Harden, Tyreek Hill, Dwight Howard, Gronkowski, Michael Chandler and Micah Parsons, who all finished in the top 20 of the athletes who competed in the event. That performance helped Brady earn 399.1 total points in the Fanatics Games.

What are the challenges?

There will be 50 spots available to ordinary people to enter and compete against their sporting heroes and other celebrities such as comedian Tiffany Haddish and pro boxer Logan Paul. Throw passes in competition against seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was also among the athletes who participated, struggling in the pitching accuracy challenge. Matt Dennish, a 39-year-old teacher from Pennsylvania, finished with 326 points to place third. "So you’re witnessing the greatest ever, and I hope you guys will appreciate that." However, he awarded $5,000 to each of the 50 fans who participated in the Fanatics Games, while the rest of that money will go to charity.

• They initially started with a brick-and-mortar store in Orange Park Mall in 1995, focusing on local team merchandise, particularly Jacksonville Jaguars apparel.
• Fanatics made international acquisitions for its Commerce division, including Italian sports merchandise company Epi in April 2023, and Latin American sports wholesaler Fex Pro in June 2023.
• The weekend’s marquee attraction was the Fanatics Games, a multi-sport “Pros vs. Joes” competition that featured 50 fans competing alongside 50 celebrities across eight challenges for a $1 million grand prize.
• Grab a seat in our dedicated fan viewing area and bleachers, with scoreboards available so you never miss a play.
• Later that year, Candy Digital secured a $100 million financing round, valuing the company at $1.5 billion.
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Fanatics Events

As for the other participants in the Fanatics Games, UFC fighter Justin Gaethje finished in second with 345.5 points. Brady’s participation in the Fanatics Games was just one of the few viral moments he had from Fanatics Fest over the weekend. The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback won the inaugural Fanatics Games at this weekend’s Fanatics Fest in New York, earning him a $1 million prize. But perhaps the biggest draw for the Fanatics Games is a rematch between reigning champion and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady and fan champion Matt Dennis, a Philadelphia teacher who wowed the Fanatics Fest crowd last year in the inaugural games. "In 2026, we’re expanding that competition and giving more fans across the country a direct path to earn their spot. The stakes are higher, the format is sharper and the games are only getting better." "What made Fanatics Games special in year one was seeing fans and world-class athletes compete side by side under the same rules and feed off each other’s energy," Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events, said in a press release.

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In April 2020, Michael Rubin—with the help of Fanatics employees around the world—launched the ALL IN Challenge, one of the largest digital fundraisers in history. The next month, Fanatics acquired Fermata Partners to transform the college licensed sports business and a new Fanatics College division was formed. In early 2016, the company acquired UK-based internet retailer Kitbag to accelerate focus on international expansion and global soccer. Priorities such as real-time manufacturing, data, and technology would guide the company’s vertical commerce (v-commerce) model. In 2014, Doug Mack was appointed CEO and Fanatics opened a Bay Area office to tap into the Silicon Valley tech talent pool.

Fans who are not located in cities hosting in-person qualifier events will still have the opportunity to apply to compete in Fanatics Games through a video application process, showcasing their skills and sharing why they deserve to compete. In 2026, the competition returns bigger, faster, and more competitive than ever with streamlined scoring, enhanced gameplay, and a production experience built for both in-venue excitement and global livestream audiences. Next, film a video depicting why they’d be an ideal candidate to take part in the multi-sports demands of the first Fanatics Games. In total, there will be 50 athletes and celebrities participating in the Fanatics Games.

The next era of competition.

Dennis finished in third place, while UFC fighter Justin Gaethje finished second behind Brady. The top three performers at each event will earn a trip to New York to compete at the Javits Center alongside confirmed athletes like NFL legend Rob Gronkowski, NBA guard James Harden and WWE superstars Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan, with more athletes expected to be confirmed in the coming months. The in-person qualifier option will be through visits at select Dick’s House of Sport locations across the country, including Knoxville, Tennessee (May 9); Kennesaw, Georgia (May 30); Houston, Texas (June 13); and Boston (June 28). The Fanatics Games are returning for 2026 Fanatics Fest Fanatics Casino with a $2 million prize pool. Under most sportsbooks’ rules, the prop bet built around him is lost. We are creating an exciting, engaging, and immersive sports betting experience for all sports fans.

Manning was also one of the athletes who participated, finishing in fifth with 314.5 total points as Brady was able to get some revenge over the quarterback who defeated him in two Super Bowls. One of the other competitions was a WWE Superstar entrance. With even bigger star-studded panels, live programming, autograph sessions and meet-and-greats, Fanatics expects to break that total once more as it continues to give fans opportunities of a lifetime.