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Grading Fanatics Fest NYC 2025: cllct's event scorecard

Power of A-list celebs, addition of Fanatics Games lift event in second year

Cover Image for Grading Fanatics Fest NYC 2025: cllct's event scorecard
Tom Brady, left, and Eli Manning get some instructions before the soccer competition at the Fanatics Games. (Credit: Getty Images)

NEW YORK — More than 125,000 fans flocked to the Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan over the weekend for Fanatics Fest NYC 2025.

That three-day attendance figure easily topped the 70,000 from the inaugural Fanatics Fest in 2024.

And the crowds got an overwhelming dose of pro athletes, celebrities, exclusive merchandise drops, star-studded panels and activations for fans of all ages.

Everywhere you walked on the convention floor, you heard roars coming from pockets of the arena as a new A-lister entered the room or another viral social-media moment was being created.

With Fanatics Fest 2025 in the books, cllct breaks down how the hobby giant did in various categories (based on a 10-point scale).

Ticketing (9):

Fanatics did a great job improving the ticket experience, smoothing over some issues from last year.

In 2024, most tickets had to be converted onsite from digital to physical, causing long lines. This year, there was none of that.

Attendance nearly doubled, and there was no friction about getting in despite the larger crowds.

Athletes and celebrities (10):

The star power of this event is second to none, setting the standard in sports.

And there's nothing like hearing the roar of the crowd as a big name moves from one place to another. Hordes followed Tom Brady, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama around the floor.

But it wasn't just A-list athletes creating the buzz. Kids were just as thrilled to see streamers such as iShowSpeed.

And the buzz around Kevin Durant when he learned he had been traded to the Rockets while onstage in a panel made the fans feel like they were in the place to be.

Fanatics Games (9):

Considering this was a new event and planned quickly, the Fanatics Games were a tremendous success.

To cycle 100 people, including A-list talent, through the gauntlet of eight activities among the crowd would have been impossible without the massive security detail in place.

There are improvements to be made to make the in-person experience feel more connected to the compeition, including more live scoreboards and live feeds on the participants as they navigate the events.

However, the fact ESPN.com is putting the Fanatics Games results on its front page speaks volumes.

And the results were probably exactly what Fanatics wanted: Six of the top 10 spots were won by average fans, including the third-place spot on the podium, proving regular Joe's can indeed compete in these events. But the event was also won by Brady, arguably the biggest name in the building, which generated even more buzz.

Autograph zone (10):

Another area where huge improvement was made, as we didn't see the disorganized lines of 2024 or athletes leaving before everyone got a signature.

This year was absolutely flawless. Huge corrals were staffed well, assuring people entered at the right place, and the handoff of the item to the athlete was terrific. It was almost seemed too good to be true.

Card show (7.5):

It's not The National Sports Collectors Convention yet because it doesn't have necessary variety — game-used items, tickets, other memorabilia — but for the growth of the hobby (kids collecting modern cards), it's already as good as The National.

"It's a totally different feeling," one vendor told us. "Everyone is more happy. They are fans, which means they just want to get it. They aren't comping in the way they do at The National."

The fact Fanatics controls so much of the hobby flow and create debuts and exclusive of products around the event is incredible powerful.

Panels and podcasts (8.0)

It’s hard to imagine assembling a stronger lineup of guests for a three-day event, so Fanatics Fest deserves a lot of credit for its booking power.

Organization could have been better, however, with the highly anticipated “Only in New York” panel abruptly ending during an answer from Andy Pettitte, and Tom Brady finally showing up in the final moments of a panel on collecting with Logan Paul and Emma Roberts.

Best celebrity experience: John Starks

The former Knicks guard was paid by the team to stand in front of a Knicks-Rangers banner and take pictures for free with fans.

Starks took hundreds of photos with a great smile and provided an added value fans weren't expecting — even though some of the kids thought he was Stephon Marbury.

Worst celeb experience: Kevin Costner

Costner was offering posed photos with him for $400. He took good photos with fans, which is what they paid for, but many complained at how unfriendly the actor was given the few minutes of interaction.

Best sport activation: WWE

For a second straight year, WWE crushed it. The experience went from a walkout entrance, which was just a lane, to a full stage with real WWE talent as judges. No other league got close to this.

Best installation: Museum of Greatness

The Museum of Greatness was a strong addition by Fanatics. Yes, it had Brady jerseys from all but two of his Super Bowls and game-used items from Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shohei Ohtani, but it still seemed a little card heavy. We expect this to get even better next year.

Best Trading Card Set: Cactus Jack and Topps

The Topps Chrome collaboration with musician Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack brand was a hit in 2024, and Fanatics delivered similar results in 2025. Boxes originally retailed for $500, but could be quickly flipped on the show floor for $1,000-plus. The high sale for a single hobby box on eBay appears to be $1,500.

One box that was signed by Scott at the show sold for $2,400 through eBay on Saturday.

Best Corporate Giveaway: "Happy Gilmore 2"

Fanatics Fest was packed with freebies of all kinds, but none were as memorable as Netflix’s Shooter McGavin cereal boxes promoting the upcoming "Happy Gilmore 2" movie.

Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.

Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.