Award-winning marketer Jason White has been appointed as chief marketing officer of Fanatics’ online gambling division, Fanatics Betting & Gaming (FBG).
White boasts an impressive history of successful marketing jobs across a number of different industries.
He served as CMO of Paramount-owned MTV Entertainment between April 2021 and June 2022 after spending several years as CMO of cannabis companies Cura Cannabis Solutions and Curaleaf.Prior to those roles, at advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy, White was instrumental in establishing the Nike brand in China, as well as developing marketing campaigns for world-leading US sports stars Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods.
White was also global head of marketing for hip hop star Dr. Dre’s Beats by Dre audio company, which was sold to Apple in 2014 for $3bn.
White is a graduate of The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and began his career with Saatchi & Saatchi in New York City.
He is a member of the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement, has been named on both the Forbes “CMO Next” and Ebony “Top 100” lists, and is an eight-time Cannes Lion Award recipient for his “Straight Outta” campaign for Beats by Dre.Jason White: “Fanatics’ vision for the future of sports fandom is incredibly special, and under Matt King’s leadership, I believe Fanatics Betting & Gaming is the next great disruptor.”
“Jason has a proven track record of helping to build globally recognised brands who are disruptors in their categories, and we’re thrilled to have him join Fanatics Betting & Gaming as we ramp up to our official launch,” said Matt King, CEO of FBG.
“As this competitive space continues to evolve, Jason will be invaluable to our long-term strategy of creating a dynamic and innovative product offering for all sports fans.”
White added: “I’ve spent a large part of my career working at moments of cultural disruption, from Beijing 2008 to the legalisation of cannabis and the rise of Beats by Dre, and I believe legal sports betting is the next cultural touchpoint that is ripe for transformation.”
“Fanatics’ vision for the future of sports fandom is incredibly special, and under Matt King’s leadership, I believe Fanatics Betting & Gaming is the next great disruptor.”
White will be instrumental in helping Fanatics continue to make its way into the online sports betting and iGaming industry in North America, as part of an all-star team led by ex-FanDuel CEO King and former Sky Betting & Gaming executive Andy Wright, who joined the firm as SVP of trading in May.
Fanatics is yet to take a real-money sports wager in the US but the sports merchandising giant has huge ambitions in the space and many believe it has the resources to become a market leader in the future alongside FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars.
