LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — University of Kentucky (UK) Athletics has announced a 12-year partnership with Fanatics, the company used to create and distribute official Kentucky Wildcat merchandise, both online and in stores.
The new partnership will introduce a program allowing UK student-athletes to help "launch affiliate storefronts, curate product collections, and seamlessly link merchandise to their social media posts," according to a press release. The program is called the "Fanatics Creator Program."
According to Nathan Schwake, the senior associate athletics director for licensing and branding with UK Athletics, the partnership with Fanatics will allow UK student-athletes to be more involved in the creation process of Kentucky-branded gear, which will let them work directly on UK Wildcat merchandise collections.
"This is an exciting next step in our mission to put student‑athletes first in everything we do... This new agreement creates meaningful, real-world opportunities for our student-athletes and strengthens the connection between our teams and our fans," he said.
According to the press release, the partnership between UK Athletics and Fanatics has placed official merchandise in major retailers, including Kroger, Walmart, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Along with clothing, collectible cards will also be produced and distributed featuring current UK student-athletes and alumni through the Fanatics Collectibles company.
"We look forward to aligning with Wildcat student-athletes to promote Kentucky licensed merchandise online and across major retail accounts we service,” said Tommy Gray, the senior vice president of Fanatics College.
The partnership was created through UK's Name, Image, and Likeness platform (NIL), BBNIL, with JMI Sports, and all content will be developed through BBNIL, according to the press release.
"Designed to support high-impact opportunities at scale, BBNIL integrates brand partnerships, content development, and compliance to execute long-term programs like this efficiently," the press release states.
“The differentiator in a partnership like this is the structure behind it and its benefit to UK’s student-athletes. By pairing this long-term investment with a platform built to support it, we are able to create campaign consistency and scale that delivers meaningful opportunities to student-athletes and lasting impact for Fanatics to be embedded in the program for years to come," said Kim Shelton, the senior vice president of NIL Strategies at JMI Sports.
To learn more about the partnership, visit this link to read the press release: UK and Fanatics Announce 12-Year Partnership Extension and Groundbreaking NIL Program for Wildcat Student-Athletes
