Dream Sports-Owned FanCode To Shut Sports Merchandise Business

Sports media startup FanCode, a subsidiary of Dream Sports (parent of dream11), will shut down its online sports merchandise arm, FanCode Shop, by October this year.

The company made the decision in June and announced that it will now focus its resources on strengthening its core content operations.

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"This will help us focus on what’s growing fastest and delivering the most value to our users. FanCode Shop will continue running till October and we will fulfill all orders placed during that time…” a FanCode spokesperson said. 

The shutdown of FanCode Shop was first reported by ET, which noted that the business struggled with long-term viability issues and the widespread circulation of counterfeit products, both of which limited its growth.

Launched in 2020, FanCode Shop sold official sports merchandise, including apparel, fan gear, and collectibles, through tie-ups with IPL teams, the NBA, international cricket boards, and global football clubs. 

It was designed to create an additional revenue stream for FanCode, which primarily offers live sports streaming, commentary, and analytics.
This move comes shortly after Dream Sports closed its real-money gaming operations, following the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. 

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Dream11 CEO Harsh Jain revealed that the ban wiped out 95% of the startup’s revenue overnight. While Dream11 will not challenge the Bill in court, it plans to concentrate on FanCode, sports hospitality venture DreamSetGo, online game DreamCricket, and its new investment platform Dream Money.

The company will also reallocate resources toward AI-led innovations in sports content, commerce, merchandising, and fan engagement, while cutting back on marketing, advertising, and partnerships. As part of this cost-control strategy, it recently withdrew as the lead sponsor of the Indian cricket team.

The new law has forced several Indian startups, including Zupee, Paytm, and games24x7, to shut down their real-money gaming businesses.