Major changes will be made to the Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association. The 70-year trading card transaction with trading card manufacturer Topps has ended.
The agreement was renewed with Topps in 2018, MLB will last until 2025, and the MLB Players Association will last until 2023. Since 1952, Topps has been making MLB trading cards.
When the transaction officially ends, sportswear company Fanatics will take over a new exclusive transaction card transaction.
Fanatics, which has become the largest official seller of sports goods, said it hopes to go further beyond clothing and is starting its own trading card company.
The MLB and MLB Players Association will acquire shares in the new trading card company from Fanatics. Together with the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, an exclusive agreement was also announced.
Major League Baseball executive director Tonik Lak sent a memo to the players on Thursday explaining how the deal was one of several agreements that generated approximately $2 billion in approximately 20 years.
Tops still has deals with Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League.
MLB owns the equity of Fanatics, and Fanatics already owns all the e-commerce rights of MLB.
Fanatics received US$325 million to expand the company earlier this month, and the company is now valued at US$18 billion.
News: Seems to be the beginning of a huge change in the trading card industry. MLB and MLBPA are signing an exclusive agreement with a new company controlled by Fanatics to produce cards. They will not renew the deal with Topps.https://t.co/nJJVPq91ZB
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) August 19, 2021
