Complex Teams Up with Fanatics to Roll Out New Culture Platform
Posted on: April 7, 2026, 04:46h.
Last updated on: April 7, 2026, 05:12h.
- Complex Bets vertical goes live after company announces partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook and Fanatics Markets
- Sports, pop culture and real-time wagering merges
- Range of sports story-telling formats powered by Fanatics
Complex is betting that a new alignment with Fanatics Sportsbook and Fanatics Market will fast track it into what the company said is the industry beating heart of fan experience – the melding together of sports, pop culture and real-time wagering.
Fanatics Brings the Sports Betting Expertise
The companies have joined forces to launch Complex Bets, a new sports betting and trading content platform with a big focus on interactive storytelling and original programming. Fanatics Sportsbook and Fanatics Markets will bring the odds, data and market insights to the table.
Complex has come a long way from its streetwear and hip-hop culture magazine launch in 2002. It grew into a vast digital property, covering rap, sneakers, style, sports and pop culture, with a big youth focus. Now they are betting this alignment with Fanatics pushes betting content into a younger, hipper, culture conversation.
YouTube Series
Sportsbook odds can be nothing but dry stats. Complex Bets will feature original shows like a weekly long-form YouTube series hosted by West Wilson, which breaks down the biggest conversations in sports betting and gaming. Complex on the Scene with Julia “Juju” Adams puts fans and bettors into stadiums, draft floors, fan zones and celebrity suites, taking the pulse behind big events, who is moving the lines, and cultural moments shaping how people bet. Plus there’s plenty of interactive content like prediction challenges and trivia.
Content will centre around sports, culture and fandom, touching on NFL, NBA, UFC, college football and basketball, World Cup with pop culture crossovers – a stand-alone vertical on Complex’s platform and social channels. The deal is a case study on where sports betting platforms are going – beyond straightforward team stories accompanied by money lines.
Sports Meet Pop Culture
“Complex has always focused on the cultural energy that surrounds sports,” said Aaron Levant, CEO of Complex. “Through our partnership with Fanatics, we’re building a platform that brings fans into the moments that matter, combining storytelling, participation, and community in a way that reflects how sports actually live within culture.
“With a successful track record of collaborating on some of the biggest merchandise drops with Fanatics, we look forward to bringing Complex’s extensive reach and audience into prediction markets and the culture that surrounds it.”
The Complex Bets platform and original programming has already begun rollout over Complex’s digital ecosystem.
Cultural Conversation
“Complex is one of the most culturally fluent brands in the world, and this partnership reflects where sports betting and trading is headed: beyond odds and into the conversations fans are already having,” said Selena Kalvaria, CMO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming.
“The current category is built around statistics and strategy, but fans experience sports through culture, community, and the moments that transcend the scoreboard. Complex Bets gives us a platform to show up in that space in a way that’s authentic to both brands. Together, we’re building something that meets fans where they actually live and expands what a sportsbook can be.”
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