Babz Reports on Multi-Day Meeting with Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin
Influencer Babz (@BabzOnTheMic) has shared a detailed breakdown of his recent face-to-face meetings with Fanatics Founder and CEO Michael Rubin in New York City.
The meetings spanned Sunday and Monday after Babz arrived early due to a blizzard, giving him several hours of direct access to Rubin and his executive team.
Babz (right) with Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin during their multi-day meeting in New York City.
Key Announcements from the Meeting
NFL Fashion Jersey Price Reduction
Babz raised concerns about fashion jerseys being priced identically to game jerseys. Rubin acknowledged that Fanatics should have stocked more game jerseys for the Super Bowl. Fashion jersey prices will be reduced next season.
Fully Stitched Jerseys Returning for 2026
The Vapor Limited fully stitched jerseys are coming back. Fanatics has been working on this for over a year and will produce them for select players on a team-by-team basis. They’re expected to hit retail soon.
App Improvements and Higher Quality Standards
Free shipping and returns are already being addressed in the Fanatics app. The company is also focusing on higher quality for T-shirts and fleece products.
Super Bowl On-Site Shop Changes
Rubin told Babz that the on-site Super Bowl NFL Shop with heavily marked-up pricing was run by a company called Legends, not Fanatics. For the next Super Bowl, Fanatics will take over the on-site NFL Shop and is committed to eliminating price differences between on-site and online pricing.
Clarifying Third-Party Responsibilities
Rubin emphasized that Fanatics needs to better educate the sports community about what the company does and doesn’t control:
- New Era hat quality issues are on New Era
- The Red Sox jersey controversy is on the team itself
- The on-site Super Bowl pricing was controlled by Legends
The Boston Red Sox publicly acknowledged the jersey design issue was their responsibility, not Fanatics’.
Proposed Authentic Fan Council
Rubin and his team showed Babz that they currently have hundreds of direct conversations with fans. However, they want to create a more public forum for fan feedback.
Fanatics plans to establish an Authentic Fan Council with boots on the ground in regional markets. The structure hasn’t been finalized yet.
The Meeting Process
According to Babz, the Fanatics team went through every single comment on his original post about meeting Rubin.
Topics covered included:
- What’s already being addressed (free shipping/returns)
- What’s coming (stitched jerseys, lower fashion jersey pricing)
- What can be addressed in the future
Babz emphasized that nothing was handed to him during the meetings. “No swag bag, no extra pair of cargos, no blank check, no special FaceTimes,” he wrote. “I was given an opportunity to give real feedback face to face and I felt heard.”
Background
Earlier this month, Sports Card Radio reported that Babz would be meeting with Michael Rubin, marking a significant development for the influencer who started the viral #EndFanatics movement over jersey quality concerns.
The meetings represent Fanatics’ continued engagement with community feedback amid ongoing scrutiny over product quality, pricing, and allocation practices.
Source: @BabzOnTheMic social media statement, February 24, 2026
