Fanatics, the sports merchandise giant, has appointed Jason White as chief marketing officer of its new sports betting offshoot, Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG).
While FBG hasn’t fully launched yet, the startup is hopeful that it can leverage its parent company’s existing customer base, the vast majority of whom are sports fans, to quickly expand within the growing sports betting industry.
Prior to joining FBG, White served as CMO of MTV Entertainment. He also held similar positions at popular headphone manufacturer Beats Electronics as well as a cannabis company called Curaleaf Holdings.
White told the Wall Street Journal that he thinks FBG has a unique opportunity to succeed within the sector due to the fact that other operators often struggle with customer acquisition and retention, whereas Fanatics is entering the market with a substantial existing customer base.
The marketing veteran will report to FBG CEO Matt King, who was first appointed last year after serving as FanDuel CEO.
According to the WSJ, White has already begun the process of filling out his personal staff. “We’re going to want to build the brand and the business at the same time,” he said.
FBG’s trademark application was approved earlier this year, and the company is already licensed to go live in Maryland. Its application for New York state, however, was not accepted.
No official launch date for FBG has been set, but Michael Rubin, founder of Fanatics, recently said on a podcast that he expects the company to start taking bets by the end of the upcoming NBA season. Rubin previously held ownership stakes in the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils franchises, but sold those holdings in order to clear up any potential conflicts of interest for his new gambling venture.
