Fanatics issued a public apology after fans criticized the rollout of Super Bowl LX merchandise for the Patriots and Seahawks, highlighting rapid jersey sellouts and criticism of patched, suboptimal alternatives.

Despite rising orders, stockouts of team-color jerseys persisted due to overwhelming demand, with new inventory arriving daily and promises of more options.

The company defended jersey quality, saying they are identical to Nike’s standard Game jersey and offering free returns for unsatisfactory items.

Fanatics’ dominance in licensed sports merchandise is growing into a multi-billion dollar business, with leadership involvement tied to Super Bowl weekend events.

The Super Bowl matchup connects Drake Maye and Sam Darnold as quarterbacks, while NFL and event preparations are depicted as premium and high-profile, even as merchandise lags.

The piece ends with an Advance Local Express Desk note that AI tools are used for content production and editing by staff.

Fanatics, WWE’s exclusive e-commerce partner since 2022, handles licensed WWE merchandise and trading cards and has expanded to on-site retail at events and podcasts.

Super Bowl LX is slated for Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with kickoff in the evening and Bad Bunny performing at halftime; NBC is the official broadcaster.

A long-running partnership since 2018 has Fanatics as the exclusive fan-wear provider while Nike supplies team jerseys, with executives reflecting on past controversies and efforts to comply with partners.

The game features the New England Patriots versus the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium, with the merchandise controversy as a lead-up to the event.

The article notes Fanatics’ high valuation around $31 billion, suggesting a gap between public-relations messaging and the actual customer experience.

Fanatics’ near-monopoly status in sports apparel is ongoing, with consumer dissatisfaction and public relations challenges continuing.