Tom Brady makes epic return from retirement for greatest flag football event ever, bringing together football’s biggest stars, alongside leading names in sports and entertainment, at Kingdom Arena, in Riyadh, on March 21, 2026
The event will be broadcast live on FOX Sports and available on Tubi
Flag football is the fastest-growing sport in the world, with more than 20 million players globally, setting the stage for the sport debuting at the LA28 Olympics.
September 15, 2025 (LAS VEGAS) – Tom Brady, Fanatics, FOX Sports and OBB Media are teaming up to deliver a groundbreaking global flag football event on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of this year’s Riyadh Season.
“The Fanatics Flag Football Classic” is a first-of-its-kind round-robin tournament featuring three teams of incredible current and legendary professional football players and world-class athletes, including Brady, who makes his first official return to the field since his retirement in 2023.
Other confirmed players include some of the biggest names in football, such as Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr., and Rob Gronkowski. Additional participants, which will feature stars across sports and entertainment, will be announced in the coming months. The teams will also be led by three of the best coaches in football today: Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan.
The event will air live on FOX Sports and Tubi, with award-winning actor and comedian Kevin Hart to serve as host.
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic will be produced by OBB Media and Fanatics, who also joined forces to produce this summer’s Fanatics Fest in New York City. Flag football is the fastest-growing sport in the world, with more than 20 million players globally, and is expected to be a must-watch event when it makes its Olympic debut at the LA28 Summer Games.
Combining the unparalleled legacy of Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion and one of the sport’s most iconic ambassadors, with Fanatics’ global reach, extensive partner network, and expanding presence in the Middle East, Riyadh Season is set to host the most spectacular flag football event to date.
The event will feature three teams of eight players facing off in a round-robin tournament with the top two teams advancing to a championship.
HE Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority: “Riyadh Season prides itself on staging world-class events and this is certain to be the biggest competition of its kind yet in flag football, bringing together some of the most prominent names in sports and entertainment for what promises to be a highly competitive and unforgettable event. We are pleased to be playing our part in supporting flag football’s continued growth and using the platform of Riyadh Season to bring the game to a new and wider audience around the world.”
Tom Brady: “I couldn’t be more excited to return to the field, get the competitive juices flowing alongside some of the game’s brightest stars and iconic legends, and bring a truly unique global sports event to fans everywhere during Riyadh Season. I have always admired the power of flag football and how it connects fans of all ages, and it’s awesome to be able to showcase the sport on such a global stage while joining together so many incredibly skilled athletes. I’m looking forward to partnering with Turki Alalshikh, Fanatics, OBB Media, my team at Shadow Lion and my friends at FOX Sports to showcase some fierce competition. And I will be bringing home the trophy.”
Michael Rubin, Fanatics CEO: “This event represents the expanding global sports landscape in the Middle East – something we’re really passionate about at Fanatics as it’s becoming a major market for sports collectibles. We’re also excited about helping fans around the world connect deeper with top athletes through flag and American football. Alongside Tom, football’s greatest global ambassador, Turki Alalshikh and his team in Saudi Arabia, FOX Sports, and our partners at OBB Media and many others, this event will bring together icons from every corner of sports, entertainment and culture for an experience unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”
Michael D. Ratner, OBB Media Founder and CEO: “This will be the ultimate celebration for football fans everywhere and introduce a whole new audience to America’s most popular game. Flag football is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and with LA28 on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be better to showcase it on a global stage. We’re thrilled to produce a world-class event that celebrates the intersection of the game and pop culture.”
Eric Shanks, FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer: “At FOX Sports, we’ve built our legacy on delivering sports’ greatest stages and unforgettable moments to fans – and we’re proud to say The Fanatics Flag Football Classic is the next chapter in that story. This bold, first-of-its-kind global event pairs one of the fastest-growing sports with a remarkable caliber of athletes and, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia set to host, we can’t wait to showcase the incredible energy and excitement from Riyadh.”
The games will follow Olympic-style flag football rules, played on a 50-yard field with two 10-yard end zones, a 5-on-5 format and two 20-minute halves. The three teams will feature a balanced mix of athletes and entertainers, and each team will also be led by an NFL head coach. Further details, including additional participants and special programming, will be announced in the coming months.
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic event will be produced by OBB Media and Fanatics in association with Shadow Lion, with the telecast handled by FOX Sports. The event’s producers are Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Kfir Goldberg, Camille Maratchi, and Glenn Stickley.
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About Riyadh Season
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting activities, and other unique cultural events. Most recently, Riyadh Season 2024 reached a major milestone after the number of visitors for the year exceeded 20 million for the first time.
About Fanatics
Fanatics is a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with over 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, over 5,000 athletes and celebrities, and over 250 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including our Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing Fox Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and the UFL and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.
About OBB Media
OBB Media is the next-gen entertainment studio driving pop culture through innovative storytelling across film, television, digital, branded content, live experiences, and more. Founded by entrepreneur and filmmaker Michael D. Ratner, alongside co-founder Scott Ratner, OBB Media has built a global audience of billions. By marrying zeitgeist-defining creative work across traditional and new media, with the capabilities of a vertically integrated production studio, OBB Media is defining how a new generation of audiences consume content and engage with brands. OBB Media has offices in both West Hollywood, CA and New York City and also operates OBB Studios—a 15,000+ square-foot, state-of-the-art production and event facility in Hollywood, CA. For more information, visit the company website at www.obbmedia.com or follow @obb on Instagram.
Media Contacts:
Brandon Williams, Fanatics – brawilliams@fanaticsinc.com
Riyadh Season – media@riyadhseason.com
