The NFL has announced an increased US$320 million (AUD$427 million) investment into sports merchandise company, Fanatics, as part of the recent US$1.5 billion (AUD$2 billion) funding round from Fanatics.

The funding round, which was led by BlackRock, Fidelity, and MSD Capital, included investments from the NFL, along with the NHL, MLB, MLB Players Association (MLBPA), and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), and saw the company’s overall valuation reach US$27 billion.

The investment from these organisations expands on their current merchandising deals with the company, with the NFL having signed a ten-year partnership with Fanatics in 2018 and being labelled the ‘single biggest investor’ in the latest round.

Overall, the latest funding round has reportedly meant leagues, players’ associations and team owners now own around 10% of Fanatics.

The latest round also reportedly included major investment from Brooklyn Nets owner, Joe Tsai through his investment fund, Blue Pool Capital, along with the Qatar Investment Authority, who owns French Ligue 1 club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Fanatics has now totalled an estimated US$4.2 billion in funding to date, with the help of other investors including private equity company, Silver Lake, rap star, Jay-Z and his Roc Nation company, investment company, SoftBank, and Todd Boehly.

Despite the increased investment, Fanatics is reportedly holding off on an initial public offering (IPO) until at least 2023, as it focuses its efforts on expanding its operations further.

This expansion includes a focus on increasing its efforts for trading cards, sports betting, and NFTs, with the company also recently acquiring Mitchell & Ness from private equity firm, Juggernaut Capital Partners, along with a host of celebrities.