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Fanatics

China-based licensed sports merchandise retailer

Licensing & Partnerships Manager - Japan & Korea

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/15/2026
No salary listed
Mid
Tokyo, Japan
In Person
Sales & Account ManagementBusiness Development & Partnerships

About the job

Requirements
  • Strong knowledge of the collectibles or trading card industry.
  • Proficiency in PowerPoint and ability to create decks and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
  • Experience developing executive-level presentations, pitches, or quarterly business reviews.
  • Ability to distill complex data into clear narratives.
  • Experience with financial modeling, budgeting, or revenue tracking for partner businesses.
  • Comfort using tools such as Excel, Tableau, or financial dashboards.
  • Ability to work in a multitasking environment, meet deadlines, and work across a wide range of high-priority initiatives.
  • Ability to create and maintain strong internal and external stakeholder relationships.
  • Entrepreneurial, proactive, self-motivated, and enthusiastic approach.
  • Genuine hobby interest in sports.
Responsibilities
  • Support and drive relationship management with sports and entertainment licensors across Japan and Korea, including sports teams and athletes.
  • Partner with key stakeholders and cross-functional partners to drive alignment, execution, and communication.
  • Create compelling, visually polished decks that communicate business updates, product initiatives, and strategic proposals to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Review and assess partner financials and profit-and-loss statements to evaluate performance, identify trends, and support data-driven recommendations.
  • Develop and improve licensor approval processes to ensure successful product timelines, working with production and operations to identify opportunities to refine the process.
  • Support partner adoption of key product initiatives such as the Debut Patch and other locally relevant programs, and help develop materials such as pitch decks to drive adoption.
  • Analyze market trends and competitive landscapes across sports and entertainment to inform strategic decisions and identify new license and intellectual property acquisition opportunities in Japan and Korea.
  • Support the evaluation, negotiation, acquisition, onboarding, and ongoing management of new sports and entertainment intellectual property opportunities in Japan and Korea, working with Legal, Finance, Product, Marketing, and other cross-functional teams.
  • Help ensure relevant internal teams, including Marketing, Product, Communications, and Sales, understand the key terms, requirements, and opportunities of each license agreement.
  • Refine processes to streamline communication, contract management, licensor approvals, and project execution with partners.

About the company

Fanatics China is a joint venture between Fanatics Inc. and Hillhouse Capital that localizes and scales licensed sports merchandise for China. It designs, manufactures, and markets fan gear for Chinese consumers, operating a multi-channel model that includes building and running e-commerce sites for global leagues and teams, exploring online marketplaces, and developing physical retail concepts. Its product workflow combines technology, data, and on-demand manufacturing to manage the entire supply chain, enabling fast response to demand. The company differentiates itself through a China-focused approach backed by Hillhouse’s network and investments, its end-to-end vertical commerce model, and partnerships with hundreds of sports organizations, which together help it navigate China’s complex retail landscape. The goal is to satisfy a previously underserved Chinese market for licensed sports merchandise by creating localized products and channels that connect fans with official gear.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

Growth Equity (Venture Capital)

Total Funding

$5.2B

Headquarters

Huangpu, China

Founded

1995

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Fanatics Sports & Casino launched September 2, 2026, broadening monetization beyond merchandise.
  • Fanatics Collectibles opened Paris flagship plans after London's success, expanding global premium retail.
  • NFL added Fanatics as official betting operator, validating the company's sportsbook ambitions.

What critics are saying

  • Three antitrust suits were dismissed September 30, 2026, but Panini's case still threatens.
  • Fanatics laid off 286 Florida workers for Riverview closure effective March 1, 2026.
  • Sportsbook and prediction-markets integration intensifies rivalry with DraftKings, FanDuel, and regulators.

What makes Fanatics unique

  • Fanatics controls leagues, teams, and factories through vertical commerce, not simple retail markup.
  • Fanatics signed long-term NFL, UEFA, FIFA, and Ryder Cup rights in 2026.
  • Fanatics China pairs Hillhouse Capital with local manufacturing and Shanghai operations.

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Benefits

Work Life Balance - At Fanatics we place our focus on results and empowerment and encourage you to enjoy your time on and OFF the field with our competitive time off policies.

Recognition and Rewards Program - Fanatics values our internal fans too! Our programs are designed to thank and reward Fanatics athletes for their hard work and commitment to winning as a team.

Company Sponsored Events - From breakfast to happy hour and every hour in between – Fanatics employees can enjoy time together at one of our many company events.

Fanatics.com Employee Discount - As an employee you will receive a special discount on all of your favorite sports merchandise and memorabilia.

Give Back - Fanatics cares about the fans around us. We encourage you to partner up with your teammates in giving back and serving the communities where we work and play.

Meet & Greets - You never know who will show up to the office. You might just meet one of your all-time favorite athletes.

Invest in You - Here at Fanatics we want you to accomplish your goals. We offer tuition reimbursement.

Healthy Lifestyle - Fanatics cares about helping and supporting our teams in their busy lifestyles. Through wellness relationships with fitness and weight management partners we are here to support you in whatever your lifestyle goals.

Wellness Coverage - Your health is important to you – and it’s important to us too! We offer a number of benefit plan options for convenience and flexibility.

Financial Security - Through our plans, Fanatics offers you a way to budget for health care expenses that you’d typically pay for out of pocket.

Retirement - The sooner you begin planning for your retirement, the better. Fanatics offers generous plans to help you prepare for the future.

Network of Support - Fanatics understands that sometimes you may need someone in your corner. Through the Life Assistance Program, you and your family have access to support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Fanatics Family First - Afterall we are #OneFanatics. Put your family first with our paid maternity and paternity leave program, or take advantage of our infertility treatment reimbursement program to get the support you need while you try to grow your family.

IDEA - We invite you to join one of our Employee Resource groups, or celebrate and honor what’s most important to you through our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equality & Advocacy) floating holiday. We recognize diversity helps foster innovation, and people perform better when they can be themselves. Gender Affirmation Treatment reimbursement is available to employees.

Company News

CNBC
Sep 30th, 2025
Scorability raises $40M to transform recruiting

Scorability, a sports tech platform, raised $40 million in funding led by Bluestone Equity Partners, with participation from Fanatics and others. The startup, founded in 2023 by Brian Cruver, aims to modernize college sports recruiting. It has 1.2 million athletes and 3,000 college sports program users. Scorability is free for athletes, while colleges pay $10k-$40k annually. The platform simplifies recruitment by providing comprehensive data and AI-driven tools for coaches.

Instagram
Aug 25th, 2025
Black Sports Business Symposium on Instagram: "Day one of #BlackSportsBiz launched the inaugural @BlackSportsWallStreet + @Pitch.Black.Sports, presented by @Fanatics, while also featuring @CariChampion, Eli Kumekpor, @RyanHoward_006 and @1JeremiahBrown! 🎤🛍️ Congrats to @Reel_Analytics for winning Pitch Black Sports! We can’t wait to see what’s next for Cory and his team. 📈 🎥: @travisellisonproductions @aumemedia"

417 likes, 21 comments - blacksportsbiz on May 30, 2024: "Day one of #BlackSportsBiz launched the inaugural @BlackSportsWallStreet + @Pitch.Black.Sports, presented by @Fanatics, while also featuring @CariChampion, Eli Kumekpor, @RyanHoward_006 and @1JeremiahBrown! 🎤🛍️ Congrats to @Reel_Analytics for winning Pitch Black Sports! We can’t wait to see what’s next for Cory and his team. 📈 🎥: @travisellisonproductions @aumemedia".

Wall Street Journal
Dec 8th, 2024
WSJ News Exclusive | Fanatics Valuation Rises to $18 Billion as It Plans to Expand Sports Offerings

Fanatics raised a new round of funding valuing the online sports-merchandise retailer at $18 billion, people familiar with the matter said, roughly tripling its valuation from a year ago.

Sports Yahoo
Sep 12th, 2024
Fanatics Launching Events Division With Investment From IMG

Fanatics is launching a new events vertical, in partnership with IMG, to capitalize on the company’s growing suite of business ventures, including merchandise, memorabilia, fashion, music, trading cards and sports betting. Starting next year, Fanatics Events will create fan festivals that feature athletes and brands from across the industry, including those in the Fanatics orbit. […]

Fanatics, Inc.
Sep 12th, 2024
History — Fanatics Inc

What began as a single e-commerce deal in 2002 has grown into a mobile-first, tech and data-fueled consumer brand, built to satisfy global fans who purchase gear in-the-moment when passion is burning highest. Fanatics provides the ultimate shopping experience to sports fans whether buying gear onlin