Lance Fensterman is the CEO of Fanatics Events, the new events division of the massively popular digital sports platform and online retailer Fanatics. He's based in New York.
How I got here: "Michael Rubin called me and told me he wanted to build the Comic Con of sports, and I was hard-pressed to say no!"
Greatest career accomplishment: "The friendships that I’ve built over my weird and diverse career span time, geography, and specific jobs. Much of that was within the backdrop of building ReedPop, a multimedia pop culture event company, which means those accomplishments are commingled as my proudest."
Something I wish I'd known at the start of my career: "You don’t have to be anything but the best version of yourself. Ever."
How I've seen fan experiences evolve: "Greater expectations on the part of fans. Brands increasingly engaging fans directly. The expectation of a digital component to any live event—to name just a few."
Favorite sports activity to do in my free time: "Anything involving my two daughters, watching a Twins game at Target Field, watching the Vikings on TV, practicing tennis with my 7-year-old, watching my 5-year-old crush U6 soccer."
Favorite moment in sports history: "Game 6 of the 1991 World Series: 3-3 score in the bottom of the 11th as Kirby Puckett hit the only walk-off home run of his entire hall of fame career, and Joe Buck said on the telecast, 'And we'll see you tomorrow night!' My big ugly dog is named Puck."
