It's no secret that Fanatics will soon dominate the hobby after securing a monumental deal to make trading cards for the biggest sports leagues in the market. And while that said deal occurred a few years ago, it seems the fruition of those plans will soon make its way to collectors and investors alike. If Sham Charania is to be believed, Fanatics will soon bring the beloved Topps brand to the NBA card market again after more than a decade apart.
Fun development: Fanatics is launching basketball cards under its Topps brand beginning with the 2023-24 NBA season, industry sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 4, 2023
In a tweet, Charania revealed that Fanatics will be launching a basketball card set using its Topps brand. This will occur sometime during the NBA 2023-24 season, according to Sham's industry sources.
Back in 2021, Fanatics Inc. took everyone by surprise and changed the landscape of the hobby when it obtained the exclusive licensing deal to produce baseball cards after Topps' contract ends in 2026. A few months later, the company purchased Topps itself for $500 million, giving it the means to make sports cards and sell them to the market.
Along with Topps, Fanatics also went the extra mile to get exclusive licensing deals with the NBA and NFL. These contracts will allow the company to produce sports cards for these leagues after their respective deals with Panini expire in a few years.
With these deals and the Topps brand under their belt, it isn't hard to imagine Fanatics using these assets to offer NBA cards sooner than later. The thing is, there's no word yet on how this will be done for the 2023-24 season as Panini's contract with the basketball league is still in play. Even if that's the case, a potential announcement on this matter by Fanatics and Topps will surely shake the hobby and generate tons of hype for these products. Collectors and investors alike must keep their eyes peeled on this topic as it can be the start of Fanatics' plan for the hobby itself.
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