How Fanatics Turns Sports Fans Into Revenue Generating SUPER AFFILIATES

The Boost with Greg Rollett

🏆 Affiliate Summit East is coming to New York City! Join us August 4-5 at the Marriott Marquee and use code BOOST15 for 15% off your ticket: https://www.affiliatesummit.com/east
Discover how Fanatics grew from $175 million to $5 billion in revenue by building authentic partnerships with creators, publishers, and even first-time affiliates in the sports merchandise space.
In this episode of The Boost, host Greg Rollett sits down with Wade Tonkin, Global Director of Affiliate Marketing at Fanatics, to uncover the affiliate strategies that have powered Fanatics' explosive growth over the past 14 years.
Wade shares how training new creators, leveraging cultural moments, and building genuine connections with sports fans has created a robust affiliate ecosystem that drives significant revenue.
🧠 You'll learn:
• Why Fanatics invests in training first-time affiliates instead of just chasing big publishers
• How to help creators craft authentic calls-to-action that convert their engaged audiences
• The impact of cultural moments (like Taylor Swift attending NFL games) on merchandise sales
• Why media publishers can be powerful partners during time-sensitive sports events
• Strategies for working with niche communities from card collectors to WWE fans
• How to coach creators to give audiences "the why" behind affiliate promotions
Whether you're a publisher, brand, creator, or sports merchandise retailer—this episode is your masterclass in building an affiliate program that scales from passionate micro-influencers to major media partnerships.
🎁 The Boost Is Presented by Grommet. Grommet is the leading product discovery marketplace, connecting thousands of new and unique products with millions of shoppers.
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💸 Want to promote these products and earn 20% commission on every sale? Email [email protected] to join our exclusive publisher program.
→ Connect with Wade Tonkin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadetonkin/
→ Fanatics Affiliate Program: https://fanatics.com (click the affiliate program link)
→ Subscribe to The Boost: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLozJSCzkxQdigpzrVjBTMYKYlFw7BmH5