Dive Brief:
- AT&T and Fanatics have entered a five-year partnership that includes special benefits for AT&T customers who join Fanatics’ loyalty program, the companies announced Wednesday.
- AT&T customers who join the Fanatics ONE loyalty program will start at the second tier, ONEmember Pro, a Fanatics spokesperson told CX Dive. Additionally, AT&T customers will have additional opportunities to earn FanCash.
- The partnership allows AT&T to send category exclusive messaging through the Fanatics platform, enables the companies to host joint sports watch parties, and makes the wireless carrier an official partner of the Fanatics Fest NYC fan festival.
Dive Insight:
Fanatics and AT&T’s collaboration is helping the digital sports platform and sports betting site expand its loyalty ambitions while adding another partnership to the wireless carrier’s portfolio.
“This partnership provides an important avenue to help us deliver exclusive access, meaningful rewards and unforgettable moments to more fans,” Tucker Kain, chief strategy officer at Fanatics, said in a prepared statement.
Fanatics ONE launched last summer as a way to offer customers unique ways to redeem points, called FanCash, which are earned by making purchases and engaging in other activities in the Fanatics ecosystem. Potential rewards include special experiences with athletes and private after-hours shopping opportunities at Fanatics stores.
The program is free to join and divided into five tiers. Customers can reach up to the fourth tier by earning FanCash, but membership in the top tier, ONE Black, is available by invite only.
Fanatics ONE has more than tripled its membership in the eight months since launch, the Fanatics spokesperson said. The loyalty program started with about 10 million members, and has now reached 30 million members.
The partnership marks AT&T’s at least the second loyalty-focused tie up this year. In January, the wireless carrier sponsored the rollout of free inflight Wi-Fi for American Airlines loyalty members. The perk is expected to become available on nearly every flight by early spring.
The companies plan on releasing more information about how AT&T customers can access and redeem Fanatics benefits, as well as when specific elements of the partnership will become available, in the future.
