High intent shopping milestone for Afterpay as it inks BNPL deal with digital sports specialist Fanatics
Afterpay has been named the preferred buy now, pay later partner of Fanatics, expanding its relationship with the digital sports platform. Eligible shoppers can now use Afterpay’s Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly for products across Fanatics’ network of online stores - including Fanatics.com, Lids.com, NBAStore.com, NHLShop.com, and associated partner sites.
“Being selected as Fanatics’ preferred BNPL partner is a meaningful milestone for us as we continue expanding into high intent shopping categories where flexibility matters,” says Tanuj Parikh, Head of Revenue, Cash App and Afterpay. “Fanatics sits at the centre of sports culture, bringing fans closer to the teams and athletes they love. Together, we’re offering fans more flexible options at checkout while supporting one of the most dynamic commerce ecosystems in sports.”
The moment builds on an existing Afterpay and Fanatics relationship, which included an activation at this summer’s Fanatics Fest event.
“Afterpay gives our customers the flexibility today’s shoppers expect, so fans can support their teams and celebrate the biggest moments in sports,” says Tucker Kain, Fanatics Chief Strategy and Growth Officer. “This feature allows us to further our mission to relentlessly enhance the fan experience, whether that’s through the personalised discovery Fanatics Ads brings to shopping, the live energy of Fanatics Fest, or the flexibility Afterpay offers at checkout, and make our world class assortment of products available and accessible in more ways than ever before.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Payments will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
