Jamie Davis takes over as the sports merchandise e-retailer buys a competitor.   

Fanatics Inc. says it has hired Jamie Davis as the e-retailer’s president. Davis comes from the TV sports industry, and joins Fanatics right after it announced its $183 million acquisition of competitor Dreams Inc., which operates FansEdge Inc., No. 181 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.

Davis has more than two decades of sports industry experience, Fanatics says. From 2008 to 2011, he was president of Versus, the cable TV sports channel now called NBC Sports Network. From 1994 to 2007, Davis worked as managing director of Asian sports broadcasting company ESPN Star Sports, which owns 15 television networks in 24 countries. There he took the company from broadcasting only to providing multimedia digital content, Fanatics says. Previously, Davis worked at News Corp. China, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and accounting firm Deloitte & Touche.

“With more than 20 years of sports industry experience, I am confident that his leadership and guidance will help us grow our brand and continue to build upon the successes of our company,” says Alan Trager, CEO and founder of Fanatics. Davis reports directly to Trager.

Fanatics says its deal to buy Dreams will close in the third quarter. Besides the e-commerce boost, the acquisition of Dreams also gives Fanatics a store base. Dreams operates a network of about 30 sports apparel and gear stores in locations such as the Caesars Forum Shops in Las Vegas and Mall of America in Minneapolis.

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