Fanatics Fest NYC’s first day brought out Jay-Z, Tom Brady, Logan Paul, Kevin Costner, Derek Jeter, Russell Wilson and more.
The festival, billed as “The World’s Largest Arena for Sports and Collectibles,” kicked off today (June 20) and featured some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment.
The “Only in New York: 37 Rings” panel featured Yankees legends Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada onstage with Spike Lee to celebrate New York sports culture.
Brady became the equivalent of a heel in wrestling when he walked out into the event to WWE superstar Cody Rhodes’ theme and a championship belt on his shoulder. The funny moment featuring him snatching a jersey from a fan, stomping, and spitting on it.
Brady also had to discover the real Rob Gronkowski in his green room after 20 Gronk lookalikes appeared. After finding the correct one, the two played a game of catch in a hallway with the Lombardi Trophy and accidentally broke it.
Brady also took a moment to make a young fan’s dream come true through a Make-A-Wish meet-and-greet with 12-year-old Axton Robertson, according to a press release. IShowSpeed also got a chance to interact with Brady in a lighthearted moment where the streamer presented the football legend with an Eli Manning jersey and appeared to have him sign it.
Travis Scott also hit the stage to perform for a crowd at a Meta and Oakley event that Brady and Michael Rubin were at, too. The performance christened the unveiling of Meta and Oakley smart glasses.
Attendees at the festival also got a chance to see hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of sports memorabilia at the Museum of Greatness, which featured pieces from Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and other athletes.
JAY-Z opened a reimagined The 40/40 Club with Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino at the center of Fanatics Fest for the weekend.
The space, which serves as an ultra VIP athlete and celebrity lounge, features framed sports jerseys from the club’s archive, grand chandeliers, stadium seating and food inspired by the club’s original menu.
On Friday alone, other guests included DJ Khaled, Lil Baby, Russell Wilson and Ciara, Keegan Michael Key, Suni Lee, Robert Kraft, Draymond Green, Kyle Larson, Gayle King, Juju Watkins, Denny Hamlin, Bryce Young, William Byron and more.
While the event’s going on, there are tons of drops for attendees to get their hands on before the festival ends on June 22, such as the Born X Raised x Mitchell & Ness x Yankees x Mets drop that Complex curated in partnership with Fanatics, and the OVO x Yankees x Giants x Jets x Liberty x UFC x Oracle Red Bull Racing drop.
