As sports card mogul Fanatics/Topps gears up to acquire NBA licensing next year and NFL rights in two years, they show no signs of slowing down. In a recent Industry Conference in Atlanta, they outlined an ambitious strategy to upscale their offerings across basketball, football, UFC, soccer, and F1.
Basketball fans can look forward to the grand return of Topps Chrome this summer. Not seen in the sporting milieu since the 2009-10 season, its return is already causing ripples of anticipation. Adding to the thrill is a glitzy promo featuring the signature of NBA rookie, Victor Wembanyama. As part of their initiative to enhance the basketball collecting experience, they’ve inked exclusive autograph contracts with the likes of Wembanyama, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kevin Durant.
The basketball card banter won’t just stop there. The upcoming line-up consists of interesting offerings like Midnight Cosmic, Chrome Finest, Motif (a high-end release), Royalty Collection, Collegiate Chrome, and Bowman U Chrome. However, collectors must note that until the official license transfer from Panini America next year, Topps won’t be flaunting NBA logos or team nicknames.
Turning towards the football arena, Topps is focusing heavily on college themes due to the NFL license commencement delay until 2026. These releases are set to include cards from the Motif and Composite series (equivalent to Panini’s Chronicles series), Collegiate Chrome, Collegiate Royalty, Bowman U Chrome and Bowman U Best. These lucrative products are slated for a 2024 third quarter launch.
Soccer fans – prepare to be enthralled. The introduction of the Champions League Dynasty product brings with it, all on-card autographs and match-worn gear. A women’s Champions League product with patch autographs is a welcome addition. A highlight is “The Grail” inserts that span across six different soccer products and offer a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2024-25 Champions League Final.
MMA fans rejoice as well, as Topps, now in possession of the UFC license, plans to reintroduce the Finest series and add premium products – Royal, UFC Midnight, Knockout, and Gold Label into the mix.
Racing fans, hold onto your helmets, as Topps introduces Paddock Pass – a Stadium Club comparable series, but with chrome cards, and other enticing releases such as Topps Chrome Finest and Dynasty, including booklet cards and Michael Schumacher cut signatures.
This mammoth lineup from Fanatics/Topps demonstrates their commitment to enriching the sports card collecting experience. With such a diverse and ambitious plan, sports card collectors have good reason to be excited about the future. After all, they are part of a thrilling journey from the word go, one that promises to transform the trading card market and enhance the overall collector engagement.