Fanatics

What Fanatics does

Fanatics (legally FanFirm Pty Ltd) is an Australian-owned, privately held sports and events travel company founded in 1997 and headquartered in Botany, NSW, with a regional office in London. The company sells direct-to-consumer tour packages to major international sporting events and cultural festivals, targeting Australian consumers — primarily passionate sports supporters, football/soccer enthusiasts, and festival/party travelers. Its product portfolio spans FIFA World Cup tours (men's and women's), cricket tours (South Africa, India, Ashes, West Indies, ICC events), rugby league events (Rugby League World Cup, Las Vegas fixtures), tennis events (Wimbledon, Davis Cup), commemorative Anzac Day Gallipoli tours, and European festivals including Oktoberfest and Pamplona's Running of the Bulls.

The technology stack is conventional: a PHP-based website (thefanatics.com) with session management, member registration, online booking and invoice functionality, Google Analytics, and email marketing — supplemented by Fanatics TV, a YouTube-hosted video platform featuring sports podcasts such as RL Insider, Chiming In, Kenty Blitz, and the Straight Yellow World Cup Podcast. No APIs, mobile apps, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. The business runs on a one-time-per-booking revenue model with tiered pricing ranging from AUD 895 (Pamplona hostel) to AUD 12,595 (FIFA World Cup Deluxe), spanning hostel, 3-star, 4-star, and Deluxe accommodation tiers.

Fanatics operates exclusively through its own website, phone lines, and email — no third-party resellers — and requires customer membership to book. Its core competitive assets are long-standing official partnerships with Rugby Australia, Cricket Australia, Football Australia, NRL, ARL, and Tennis Australia, alongside relationships with former professional athletes (Mark Bosnich, Aaron Mooy, Stan Lazaridis, Adam Peacock) who serve as tour hosts. The company operates under Australian Travel Agent License 2TA5690 and claims market leadership in Australia for tours to major events, festivals, and parties, with 130,000+ travelers served cumulatively and 115,000+ newsletter subscribers.

Name

Fanatics

Legal name

FanFirm Pty Ltd

Website

https://thefanatics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fanatics is an Australian sports and events travel company, founded in 1997, that sells direct-to-consumer tour packages to major international sporting events and cultural festivals — including FIFA World Cups, cricket tours, rugby league, tennis, Anzac Day at Gallipoli, Oktoberfest, and Pamplona — targeting Australian sports fans and festival travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports and Event Travel Services

NAICS

Spectator Sports (7112), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAFAE

Sports Events & Match Tickets

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Live Entertainment & Ticketed Events (Shows, Concerts, Sports Experiences)

SECONDARYCRAMABAO

Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Sporting Goods Generalist Retail

SECONDARYCRALAJAH

Sports, Concert & Venue Gift Shops

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Gift, Novelty & Souvenir Retail

Keywords

• Sports tour packages
• Event travel services
• Festival tour operator
• Sporting event travel
• Group tour packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Woolloomooloo

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Tour Packages: Fanatics generates revenue through selling comprehensive tour packages to major sporting events, festivals, and parties. Packages include accommodation, event tickets, transfers, guided tours, and merchandise. Pricing varies by event and accommodation tier (3-star to 5-star options).
2. FIFA World Cup Tours: Multi-city tour packages following the Socceroos through Vancouver, Seattle, Las Vegas, and San Francisco with accommodation options ranging from AUD 8,995 to AUD 12,595 per person
3. Festival Packages: Packages to festivals like Oktoberfest (Munich), Running of the Bulls (Pamplona), and Anzac Day Gallipoli tours. Prices range from AUD 895 (Pamplona hostel) to AUD 1,695 (Oktoberfest hotel).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fanatics organizes and sells all-inclusive tour packages to major international sporting events (FIFA World Cups, cricket tours, Rugby League World Cup, English Premier League, Wimbledon, Davis Cup) and European cultural festivals (Oktoberfest, Running of the Bulls, Anzac Day at Gallipoli). Each package bundles accommodation, inter-city transfers, event/match tickets, guided tours, pre-match functions with former-athlete hosts, and 24/7 on-ground support. The company also sells fan merchandise via an online shop and produces sports video content through Fanatics TV.

Product overview

Fanatics is a sports and events travel company operating as a platform of tour packages and travel services. The core offering consists of tour packages to major sporting events (FIFA World Cup, Cricket tours, Rugby League tours, Tennis events) and cultural festivals (Oktoberfest, Running of the Bulls, Anzac Day commemorations), supplemented by an online merchandise shop and Fanatics TV video content platform. The company offers tiered accommodation options (hostel, 3-star, 4-star, Deluxe hotels), package-based pricing, and pre-registration systems for upcoming events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fanatics TV: Fanatics' YouTube channel featuring sports content including podcasts like 'Straight Yellow' and 'RL Insider' hosted by James Hooper.
• Fanatics Festivals
• Fanatics World Cup Tours

Products and services

• FIFA World Cup North America 2026 Tour Packages

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rugby AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership with Rugby Australia for organizing supporter tours to international rugby events. Fanatics works closely with the organization to provide travel packages for fans.
• Cricket AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership for organizing cricket tours including Test matches, one-day internationals, and major cricket events featuring the Australian national team.
• Football AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFanatics ran the official program for Football Australia in 2006 with 7,500 fans. Ongoing partnership for Socceroos and Matildas travel.
• NRL (National Rugby League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NRL for organizing tours to rugby league events including the Rugby League World Cup and Las Vegas fixtures.
• ARL (Australian Rugby League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ARL for organizing Australian rugby league supporter tours to major international events.
• Tennis AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for organizing tours to Wimbledon and Davis Cup events.
• Fez TravelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFanatics has been working with Turkish tour partners Fez Travel for over 20 years to organize Gallipoli Anzac Day tours and Turkey-based experiences.
• FIFAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFanatics ran an official program for FIFA in 2010 with their famous tent city in Durban, South Africa. They consistently take the biggest crowds to each FIFA World Cup.
• Tour Hosts (Mark Bosnich, Aaron Mooy, Stan Lazaridis, Adam Peacock)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFormer professional athletes serving as tour hosts at FIFA World Cup events, providing pre-match analysis, expert commentary, and player insights.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Sports Travel Company: Australian sports tour operator building packages to NRL, AFL, rugby, cricket, and football fixtures. Directly competes for the same Australian supporter-traveller base and works with overlapping federation partners.
• Grand Slam Tennis Tours: Specialist tennis tour packager selling Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, and Australian Open packages including accommodation and tickets. Direct overlap with Fanatics' Wimbledon and Davis Cup offerings.
• KE Adventure Travel: UK adventure tour operator running commemorative Anzac Day Gallipoli trips plus festival and walking holidays. Direct overlap on the Gallipoli/Anzac product line where Fanatics works with Fez Travel as local partner.
• Marathon Tours & Travel: US sports event travel specialist running marathon, cycling, and adventure-sport tour packages. Comparable business model: tiered accommodation, event-ticket bundling, premium pricing for international participants.
• Sports Travel and Tours: US sports tour company packaging trips to NFL Super Bowl, MLB World Series, College Football Playoff, and major international events. Direct competitor on the supplier side with a similar tiered-hotel, ticket-and-travel model.
• Gullivers Sports Travel: UK-based specialist sports tour operator running supporter tours to rugby, football, cricket, motorsport, and tennis events. Closely comparable operating model: multi-city, ticket-inclusive packages to international fixtures, sold direct-to-consumer.
• Road Trips, Inc. US-based luxury sports travel company specializing in major sporting events (Super Bowl, Final Four, Kentucky Derby, Masters). Comparable high-touch, all-inclusive, ticket-inclusive experiential travel offering.

Broad incumbents

• Contiki: Global youth-tour operator (18-35) running group trips to festivals and European party destinations including Oktoberfest and Pamplona. Larger portfolio, overlapping party-travel customer segment, but broader product than sports-only.

Emerging players

• Topdeck Travel: Youth-focused group tour operator with European festival itineraries (Oktoberfest, Running of the Bulls, Amsterdam). Smaller portfolio overlap than Contiki but comparable party-travel audience for festival packages.

Regional players

• Adventure Tours Australia: Australian small-group tour operator running festival-adjacent itineraries (Schoolies, Great Ocean Road, outback). Domestic-focused regional player sharing the Australian outbound traveller base but not directly competing on sports-only packages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thefanatics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FanaticsTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefanatics
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefanatics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fanfirm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fanatics