The duo we never knew we needed.
Justin Bieber, 32, and Tom Brady, 48, joined the celebrity guest list at the 2026 Fanatics Fest held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on July 16-19. The interactive showcase allows fans to mingle with some of sports’ greatest legends while also introducing them to exclusive merchandise.
During this year’s four-day event, Bieber made an appearance and put his athleticism to the test in a punching challenge versus the NFL legend.
To see if Brady’s arm still had some gas, the unsuspecting pair used a strength-testing punching machine known as the Striking Challenge, often found in arcades. To compete, one person punches a dangling boxing bag as hard as they can. The machine then calculates the person’s punching speed.
In a viral Instagram video from Fanatics, Bieber threw the first punch in the Striking Challenge, ending with a 780 score.
Brady blew Bieber’s score out of the water by capping his punching speed at 911.
Professional tennis player Novak Djokovic also joined in on the challenge, scoring a punching speed of 591.
Justin Bieber and Tom Brady Compete in the Striking Challenge
While Brady might have had an upper hand in the strength competition, Bieber stole the show when he surprised Fanatics attendees with an unannounced — and shirtless — performance. The pop artist shocked fans when he appeared on the WWE stage to perform his hit single “YUKON.” Fans went crazy for Bieber as he tore his shirt off mid-performance.
Other celebrities and athletes to make an appearance at the 2026 event included David Beckham, Serena Williams, Kevin Hart, Jason Sudeikis, Camille Kostek, Teyana Taylor, Travis Scott, Gayle King, Rich Paul, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and more.
Fanatics Fest began just two years ago in 2024 and has already made its way into the professional sports narrative.
Fanatics Fest Winner Takes Home $1 Million
Not only do fans get to interact with celebrities and athletes at Fanatics Fest, but they’re also able to face off against them in the games. The number of fan competitors is limited to 50 people — but if their skills prove to be better than the world’s most elite, they get to take home some seriously expensive prizes.
Competitive games at this year’s event included a basketball shooting challenge, accuracy tests for soccer and hockey, baseball pitching, golf putting, and more.
The first-place winner of the Fanatics games receives a whopping $1 million, while the second-place winner receives an exotic luxury car, and the third-place winner receives a high-value trading card or sports memorabilia from an elite player, Fanatics reported.
Winners for last year’s games include Brady, who placed first, UFC fighter Justin Gaethje, who placed second, and Matt Dennish, a high school teacher, who placed third and took home a 2003-04 Topps Chrome Gold Refractor LeBron James rookie card.
After the 2025 event, Brady offered Dennish $250,000 for LeBron’s rookie card, to which the fan accepted. The NFL Hall of Famer also gave Dennish a signed jersey and a signed trading card, according to Fanatics.
