BREAKING: Panini to have Full NFL Football Card Exclusive Starting in 2016

Panini Lands NFL Football Card Exclusive Starting 2016

The NFL is going exclusive.

In a call with distributors today, Panini America CEO Mark Warsop announced that the company will have a full exclusive for NFL and NFLPA football cards starting in 2016.

Topps, whose license is set to expire in the spring, will continue to produce digital trading cards.

Under the agreement, which goes into in the spring, Panini is expected to release up to 30 NFL products per year.

In the call, which was confirmed by multiple sources, Warsop was conciliatory towards Topps as they wrap up their current agreement. He referred to Panini’s own dealing with a similar situation when Panini’s NHL license ended following the 2013-14 season and the difficulties they encountered using their remaining assets and autographs.

The NFL is the final of the major four sports leagues to go the exclusive route for trading cards. Once this new deal goes into effect, Panini will have exclusives for football and basketball, Topps with MLB and Upper Deck with the NHL. Panini also has exclusive deals with the majority of the NCAA’s Division I schools.

Panini and the NFLPA originally announced their exclusive deal at 2014 National Sports Collectors Convention. At the time, it wasn’t a full exclusive as the deal with the NFL needed to be reached separately.

In 2015, Topps celebrated 60 years in the sport. And while that history is slated to continue, it will be very different. Digital does not have the same history as the flagship Topps Football line or even more modern brands like Topps Chrome.

We reached out to both Panini and Topps for comment. Panini declined comment at this time. Topps has not yet responded and we’ll update if they do.

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

Knew it was coming, wish the leagues didn't go that route. Wish more companies per sport less product per company. Oh well


Ryan

its not like topps chrome has been good. I don't know that anyone will miss topps football given the recent state of their products.

Topps gets to do digital because it's a different product category than trading cards?

I assume Topps won't be able to do no-logo physical trading cards because they won't be able to get a NFLPA license to use the names/likenesses?

RStadlerASU22 said:

Knew it was coming, wish the leagues didn't go that route. Wish more companies per sport less product per company. Oh well


Ryan

Click to expand...

Good for businesses, bad for the little people. Hopefully Bernie Sanders changes that hahaha

Dont hold your breath.

The issue for me is 30 products. This number should be half that
3 low end
3-4 mid-range
3-4 high-end

Variety is good but 30 is ridiculous.

I just purchased my annual Topps NFL factory set.

My curiosity Q - is this 2015 Topps NFL flagship factory set the final Topps fully licensed flagship factory set they will make with Panini taking over in 2016 or does Topps get to make one more flagship release in 2016 before having to give way to Panini?

I've been impressed with the quality of Panini cards. I haven't hit any big scores yet but The cards are nice.

I love Panini. That said, I like the look of a lot of topps products. Strata, chrome, finest(inserts anyways), museum, and inception. I typically will go after singles of these every year and they are some of the nicest looking cards I feel are currently being produced.

But topps has shot themselves in the foot as far as I'm concerned when it comes to my other love, which is set collecting. Over 100 sp's, 10 zillion insert sets(most of which lack the necessity for even existing), and making the insert sets a mile long, all kill it for me.

Don't get me wrong, Panini has sp's and a ton of inserts. But the sets are smaller for the inserts and the sp's are not only fewer, but generally pretty affordable.

That said, I can deal with the loss of topps if I can still have sets to collect and just substitute strata and inception for immaculate and playbook(which is pretty dang close to strata anyways). Besides, I think Panini gives the retail aspect some love with more exclusives and even wrapper redemptions.

I don't buy new cards in set form, nor do I really even buy football cards anymore. If I did though, I would be bothered by not having the ability to get Topps cards. There is just something about having been in the business for so long and then….nothing, It all ends.

How is this any different than having a monopoly and removing choices from the consumer?