By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., Associated Press Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fanatics, the sports merchandising giant best known for jerseys and collectibles, is moving deeper into entertainment and bringing fans closer to the action.

FILE – A Fanatics sign appears at Oracle Park during a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres in San Francisco on June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

The company announced Tuesday the launch of Fanatics Studios, a new content arm with initial projects including the official Olympic film for the LA28 Games, a multipart documentary following seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and joining ESPN as a producer of the 2026 ESPY Awards. Other partnerships will include WWE, MLB and Fox Sports.

Fanatics Studios will independently create, finance, produce and distribute projects spanning feature films and documentaries, unscripted originals, live event specials and premium digital series.

The move adds a major content arm to Fanatics’ growing sports platform, which already includes apparel, collectibles, betting and live events like Fanatics Fest, which will be held this year in New York from July 16-19.

“I’m incredibly excited about launching Fanatics Studios and adding an important content and media business to our growing sports platform that also supports all of our existing businesses,” said Fanatics founder Michael Rubin, who will partner with Michael Ratner and his production company, OBB Media.

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Ratner will serve as CEO of Fanatics Studios while continuing to run OBB’s other businesses.

“Sports and pop culture are converging at the heart of the global entertainment landscape and we’re building Fanatics Studios to redefine what is possible at that intersection,” Ratner said.

Among the studio’s early projects is “One More Drive,” a documentary series tracking Brady as he prepares for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic and explores a potential run at Team USA as flag football makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Fanatics Studios will also oversee Olympic-related projects highlighting athletes, culture and defining moments of the Games.

The studio will hold a launch event in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening.

“We are going to continue pushing our mission of relentlessly enhancing the fan experience by creating content that brings fans closer than ever to the teams, players, sports, cultural moments and events that they love in a way that’s never been done before,” Rubin said.