Fanatics is relocating a flag football game it was scheduled to hold in Saudi Arabia later this month with NFL stars including Tom Brady, Saquon Barkley and Joe Burrow.
Due to fallout from the Iran war, Fanatics announced Monday it will host the event instead at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, home of MLS club LAFC, on March 21. It’s not immediately clear how much that move will impact the economics of the event. The game was due to be part of Riyadh Season, a huge tourism driver for Saudi Arabia, whose government was likely contributing millions to the event.
The U.S. and Israel first launched attacks in Iran on Feb. 28, and fighting has since expanded across the region. The U.S. State Department last week advised Americans to leave more than a dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia. There have been drone attacks in Riyadh, and the U.S. later closed its embassy there after the building was hit.
Tickets for the game will go on sale later this week. A representative for Fanatics didn’t immediately respond to a question about the Saudi involvement in the new Los Angeles version of the event.
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic is expected to be a big milestone for Michael Rubin’s company—a deeper move into live, celebrity-laden events—and for the NFL. The league has spent millions of its own money trying to make flag more prominent, including plans for a new pro league. This version of the sport doesn’t carry the same injury risks, it’s easier to organize, it plays better overseas and it leads to more participation by young girls. The NFL push led to flag football being added to the official program at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Those games are scheduled to be played in BMO Stadium.
The Fanatics flag game will utilize modified Olympics-style rules and will be televised on Fox, as originally planned. It will feature three teams, two led by current and former NFL stars and a third made up of current Team USA flag players, who are the reigning world champions.
Fanatics has said it secured some of the NFL’s biggest stars to participate. It’s rare for players to receive permission to do even semi-intense physical activity while under contract in the offseason. but the fact that stars like McCaffrey and Barkley were cleared to play is likely an indication both of the NFL’s interest in flag football and the money surrounding the game.
Sporticowrote last year about how many of the flag football events participants—like Brady, Odell Beckham Jr., Rob Gronkowski and comedian Kevin Hart—have ties to Fanatics. Beyond the planned relationship with Saudi Arabia, Fanatics also has a five-year deal with the Qatari government and is planning to open an office in Doha.
Fanatics has over the past decade gradually amassed a larger and larger share of sports fans’ wallets. What started as licensed sports clothing and gear has grown to include trading cards, memorabilia, sports betting and, most recently, events. The company is projecting $12 billion in revenue in 2026, which would be a nearly 50% jump from 2024.