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Dean’s Dialogue: Michael Rubin on the Business of Sports

Dean’s Dialogue: Michael Rubin on the Business of Sports

The Fanatics founder and CEO spoke with Dean Geoffrey Garrett about breaking into industries, forming authentic connections, and being the underdog.

by: Alexander Bernard
10.01.24
Mike Rubin

Fanatics Founder and CEO Mike Rubin speaks with Dean Geoff Garrett at the Dean's Dialogue. 

[USC Photo / David Sprague]

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The business of sports is booming, and Fanatics founder and CEO Michael Rubin is at the forefront of the market.

As part of USC’s annual Trojan Family Weekend, Rubin joined Marshall Dean Geoffrey Garrett on September 26 for “Dean’s Dialogue: Embracing Fans and Disrupting Sports,” a conversation exploring Rubin’s journey from teenage entrepreneur to one of the premier sports business leaders in the world.

Fanatics serves more than 100 million registered global users with partnerships with more than 900 sports properties, including hundreds of college teams, numerous organizations, and every team from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Fanatics’ business extends far beyond merchandise and apparel. The digital sports platform has grown to include several businesses such as fan events, trading cards, and most recently, supporting professional athletes transitioning to life after sports.

Rubin has partnered with the Marshall School of Business and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism for the Fanatics’ Athletes Immersion Program. The one-week program provided professional athletes a customized educational experience, providing them insights into the business world through connections with top industry leaders and academic experts.

Rubin believes strong relationships like these are essential to Fanatics’ success. In fact, he says that the natural ups and downs of entrepreneurship requires a founder to be surrounded by a strong network.

“During tough times, relationships are everything,” Rubin said. “We need a good strategy. We need to have a good business for our partners. But with the right relationships, it’s amazing what you can accomplish.”

Rubin’s entrepreneurial philosophy involves constant growth and learning, seeking out a range of opinions and ideas, even from the most unlikely of sources. He told the attendees that his team is filled with a diverse group of people, all of whom are able to teach himself something new.

“If you’re a hard-charging entrepreneur and you don’t get the right people around you, you will never build a business of scale,” Rubin said.

Rubin emphasized the importance of authenticity, specifically within his connections. Whether it’s his employees, Marshall students, or highly successful individuals such as Kevin Durant and Travis Scott, Rubin looks to develop genuine relationships.

We need a good strategy. We need to have a good business for our partners. But with the right relationships, it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

— Mike Rubin

Fanatics Founder and CEO

“I think it goes back to relationships — you have to make these relationships authentic. Our relationship’s been built over time,” Rubin said referring to his friendship with Dean Garrett. “We didn’t just meet; we’ve spent a lot of time together over the last couple years, and we’ve built an authentic relationship.”

Rubin didn’t start out as the CEO of a major sports corporation. He began by building small companies from the ground up. In his case, he was selling ski supplies out of his parents’ basement at just fourteen years old.

“As a young kid, I was not good at anything but working … I was terrible at sports, I was terrible at school, but the one thing I loved to do is work. So I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life,” Rubin said.

Despite leading a multi-billion-dollar sports corporation, Rubin hasn’t lost that original entrepreneurial drive and competitive edge. He often pushes Fanatics to innovate — for example, by acquiring Topps trading cards or opening up a sportsbook for gambling.

The sports betting market is dominated by a few key players, making entering the industry a risky endeavor. Yet, Rubin isn’t discouraged by the odds; he’s defied them before. Fanatics originally ranked far behind the top competition in both the merchandise and trading card markets. Now, they’re number one in both industries. The betting market is just one more challenge for Rubin.

“There’s nothing I love more than being the underdog,” Rubin said.

Rubin imparted that mentality on the audience, advising attendees to pursue their passions relentlessly with commitment and drive.

“You have to be laser-focused,” Rubin said. “I love what I do today. I work 17 hours a day, probably 350 days a year, and it’s so fun to me … If you don’t love what you’re doing, find something else that you do love because life’s too short.”

At the end of the event, Dean Garrett and Marshall presented Rubin with a USC football helmet signed by head coach Lincoln Riley. Of course, ever the enthusiastic competitor, Rubin immediately donned the helmet.

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