A couple of months ago, the license to manufacture and distribute WWE trading cards went from Topps to Panini. During that time, the card company hyped its upcoming WWE Prizm set to signify its entrance into this part of the hobby. The thing is, it looks like that said license won't stay with Panini for too long.
WWE and @Fanatics announced a comprehensive, long-term sports and entertainment partnership that will include e-commerce and licensed merchandise, as well as physical, digital, and non-fungible token (NFT) trading cards.https://t.co/dbI79RfSPT pic.twitter.com/ZAggCiPNLN
— WWE (@WWE) March 28, 2022
In an announcement made by both WWE and Fanatics, the companies have agreed to enter a deal that will have the latter produce e-commerce and licensed merchandise products for consumers. This agreement includes non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and trading cards.
The said deal will have the latter come up with wrestling cards using the Topps brand. The card company was acquired earlier this year by Fanatics from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
For his part, Vince McMahon, WWE chairman and CEO, said that this deal will help his company engage better with fans all over the world.
“We believe this multi-platform partnership will set a new standard for WWE e-commerce, apparel and merchandise, while providing our fans globally with more ways than ever to engage with WWE and our Superstars,” McMahon said.
Over at Fanatics, Michael Rubin, its CEO, said that it makes sense for his company's global platform to create a unique fan experience for a widely-admired sports and entertainment property.
From e-commerce and licensed merchandise to trading cards and more, we’re going to offer up an incredible set of capabilities to help WWE’s passionate fans worldwide celebrate their favorite Superstars, marquee events and the WWE brand overall,” Rubin added.
Of course, there's still the part about Panini and what it means for the license it just acquired late last year. In that deal, the card company acquired the rights to produce WWE cards after Topps lost it. Panini even has its first-edition Prizm set for WWE coming out soon to start its multi-year commitment to the sports entertainment brand.
It remains to be seen when McMahon's agreement with Fanatics will start and when the trading card deal with Panini will end. What's certain, though, is that in any scenario, wrestling fans are sure to get their card fix down the line.
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