Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin vows to ‘spend whatever it takes’ to fend off ‘extortion’ charges

Fighting lawsuits against his Fanatics empire has already cost Michael Rubin eight figures.

But the sports mogul is adamant it’s an expense he will never cut back on.

After scoring victories in several civil cases involving his company Fanatics in recent months, Rubin promised the California Post on Wednesday that he would continue to “spend whatever it takes to win” legal cases that he and his partners deem frivolous.

“We’ve spent almost $100 million in legal fees on these different cases,” Rubin said. “We’re not going to let someone extort us over baseless allegations.”

Fanatics has been taken to court several times over the past two years, with plaintiffs alleging that the collectibles and memorabilia giant created a monopoly that harmed them.

In a March 2025 case filed in a New York federal court, Robert Scaturo argued that Fanatics’ dominance in the market had resulted in “fewer choices, lower quality and higher prices for direct products.”
buyers” of collectible cards.

In another complaint filed in July 2025, Phillip Jones and a host of other plaintiffs said the company’s vast growth had limited “consumer choice” and “inflated prices.”

A third lawsuit filed by Charles Franz and “others similarly situated” claimed that Fanatics and its partnerships with professional sports leagues had harmed retailers trying to compete in the same market.

But all three cases, along with at least one other similar suit, were recently dismissed.

In Jones’ case, which was formally dismissed Tuesday, a judge said the plaintiffs had not demonstrated “that they, individually and in particular, have been or will shortly be injured in the manner alleged.”

The judges ruled the same way in the other cases.

Fanatics is still locked in a civil case with Panini over alleged anticompetitive behavior, however, Rubin made it clear to the Post on Wednesday that there won’t be a check he won’t cut to continue fighting the claims.

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