Damar Hamlin has Fanatics’ most-purchased jersey among all athletes across all sports
By Joe Sutton, CNN
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field during Monday’s football game and suffered cardiac arrest, has the most sought-after jersey on Fanatics.
“Damar still has the most purchased jersey among all athletes across all sports on Fanatics since Monday night,” a spokesperson for Fanatics said.
The sports merchandise and memorabilia company said it would donate all proceeds from jersey sales to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation.
Donations have poured in to a GoFundMe fundraiser Hamlin started in 2020 to raise money to purchase toys for children, writing at the time, “As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me. I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact.”
The fundraiser topped $74,000 just one hour after Hamlin’s collapse and has since soared to more than $7.7 million with more than 232,000 donations.
“Fans are showing an incredible outpouring of love and support for Damar Hamlin in buying his jersey,” Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin said in a tweet on January 3. “Please get well soon Damar.”
The 24-year-old Hamlin remains critically ill, but his condition has improved substantially. He is awake in a Cincinnati hospital, appears neurologically intact and is moving his hands and feet, doctors said Thursday.
The NFL said the Bills-Bengals game at which Hamlin collapsed would not be completed. The game, which was postponed in the first quarter, had an average of 23,788,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 from approximately 8:30 pm to 10:09 pm, according to Nielsen. The massive audience makes it the most-watched “Monday Night Football” broadcast since the NFL moved the series to ESPN in 2006, surpassing the previous record of 21.8 million viewers for a Packers-Vikings game in 2009.
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