Fanatics Betting & Gaming has hired Selena Kalvaria as its new CMO after three years as Gucci’s SVP of Brand and Client Engagement, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Kalvaria joins Fanatics after helping grow Gucci’s Americas business and will take over for Jason White, who left Fanatics in 2023 to join advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy as president. Kalvaria has the responsibility of marketing Fanatics’ services to true sports fans with an emphasis on engaging with women as the gaming industry continues to grow.
“There’s a huge intersection between female athletes and sports and fashion, and we have a huge commerce business,” Kalvaria told the WSJ. “There’s a lot of different ideas that we can cultivate that I think we can do uniquely.”
Under Kalvaria’s leadership, a group of roughly 40 marketing executives will work together to expand Fanatics’ reach with a focus on content, social media, and brand strategy. Kalvaria’s presence presents a unique opportunity for Fanatics as it has established relationships with sports fans worldwide behind its e-commerce business. The business helped the privately held company generate $6 billion in revenue in 2023, per Forbes.
Last April, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin said the company has a database of 95 million customers but has yet to disclose specific figures for its gaming business.
In 2022, Fanatics was valued at $31 billion after raising $700 million in a funding round led by private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group. Existing investors in Fanatics including Silver Lake, Fidelity Investments, and SoftBank Group Corp. also contributed.
Fanatics continues to grow
Fanatics is solidifying its presence in sports betting and iGaming markets across the country through its $225 million acquisition of PointsBet’s U.S. operations. The deal has seen Fanatics launch operations in Arizona, Michigan, New York, and others.
As of May 29, Fanatics has secured wagering licenses to operate in 21 regulated markets.
