In a broad rearrangement of the trading card universe, unions representing Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Football League players have signed exclusive agreements with a new company controlled by online sporting goods retailer Fanatics Inc. , people familiar with said the matter.
Bids break the control that the current icon Topps Co. has been in the baseball card market since the 1950s. Basketball and football players had agreements with Panini America, Inc.
The three unions (MLBPA, NBPA and NFLPA) will have stakes in the entity that will now control the most lucrative sports trading card assets in the country. MLB and the NBA have also reached agreements with the new business and will also have a stake in it.
Topps and Panini did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The MLBPA agreement begins in 2023. MLB’s current agreement with Topps extends to 2025. The NBA and NFL union agreements extend to 2025 and 2026, respectively.