Professional wrestling promotion WWE has reunited with Fanatics-owned trading card and collectible brand Topps in a new long-term partnership.
This partnership comes into effect immediately following the expiry of WWE’s previous trading card deal with rival Panini.
Go deeper with GlobalData
WWE and Topps had been partnered between 2005 and 2021, prior to Topps’ $500 million purchase by Fanatics in January 2022.
Alongside standard trading card collectibles, Topps will also provide signed cards and other high-value limited edition cards to cater for a burgeoning collector and resale market.
Almost immediately after Fanatics took over Topps, the company agreed a major e-commerce and merchandising deal with WWE, one that would essentially spell the end of the promotion’s Panini partnership as it had barely begun.
Then, in 2023, WWE attempted to end the Panini partnership two years early, citing breach of contract, ostensibly so it could make an early switch to Fanatics.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataPanini had only just prior filed an antitrust lawsuit against Fanatics alleging it had been attempting to monopolize the trading card market after entering the sector in 2021.
That led to a protracted court battle with both sides lodging lawsuits against each other, with Panini stating that the WWE terminated the contract wrongfully while the promotion stated that Panini had breached the initial contract through a failure to produce collectibles.
In the end, Panini won a small victory – it was allowed to see out its WWE contract to its initial length, which ran to the end of 2024.
This is the latest instance of Topps/Fanatics supplanting Panini at a major sports property in what has become a long-running saga.
The antitrust suit Panini filed against Fanatics stated: “Panini was not given an opportunity to bid or otherwise compete for the licenses Fanatics acquired. Panini only learned about Fanatics’ exclusive agreements after they were consummated, through reading about them in the media.
“By combining long-term exclusive licenses for every major US professional sports league and their respective player associations, Fanatics positioned itself to drive Panini and other potential competitors out of the market, and erected barriers to entry blocking their return.”
In 2023, the NFLPA, the players’ association of American football’s premier NFL, terminated its partnership with Panini to begin its new deal with Fanatics three years early.
As well as the NFLPA, Fanatics has also agreed long-term contracts with basketball’s NBA and baseball’s MLB.
Fanatics (via Topps) is also the official trading card supplier of mixed martial arts promotion UFC, which shares an owner with WWE through the TKO Group.
In February 2024, WWE expanded its Fanatics partnership to create an interactive fan experience based around its flagship WrestleMania event.
