WWE announces multi-year trading card partnership with the Panini Group

[Chris]

Source: f4wonline.com

WWE has entered into a new merchandising partnership to produce trading cards.

It was announced on Monday that WWE and The Panini Group have entered into a multi-year agreement to make Panini WWE's exclusive trading card and collectible sticker partner. WWE previously worked with Topps to produce trading cards.

The deal begins in the first quarter of 2022, with multiple trading card products set to be released within the first year. The first product, which is titled "2022 WWE Prizm," will be released to coincide with the buildup to WrestleMania 38.

The trading cards will be available at mass retailers including Walmart and Target, hobby stores nationwide, and online.

"We have always been intrigued by WWE as a license partner and their fans’ incredible passion,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “Our entire team is looking forward to adding WWE, a truly iconic license, to our roster of exclusive partners. We have big plans for our WWE portfolio and the new heights we can help WWE trading cards and stickers reach in the collectibles arena."

"Panini has a 60-year history in sports and entertainment collectibles and is a leader in the trading card space throughout the U.S. as well as in Latin America, Europe and Asia,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development. “We believe that this partnership perfectly aligns our mutual interests in providing fans with exclusive collectibles and, ultimately, growing this category globally."

 

[Deezy]

 

[Buffy]

Since I do play WWE Supercard and Topps on my phone. I guess I will give this new card thing a chance. More profits for WWE.

 

[Gentleman Jake]

Cards are so huge right now it’s nuts and panini is the king of cards these days good move


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[Lethal]

Going by the quality of the football cards, I'm all over this.

 

[Dale]

JohnWallStreet of Sportico recently reported that WWE’s new trading card deal with Panini is a “low eight-figure pact. It was said that it is “worth more than three times the average annual value of WWE’s expiring agreement with Topps.”

 

[Dale]

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[Wiseman]

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This is far from over. Panini is suing them back for breach of contract. Who the fuck knows what's going to happen. Not sure who follows the trading card game but Panini is either full of fuckery or getting fucked in the past few months as the NFL ended it's contract about 2 or 3 years short with Panini and now WWE is trying to do it months ahead of their contract ending. I say good, cause Panini blows, overall, as a company.

 

[Dale]

Panini will continue making WWE products for the foreseeable future.

Fightful Select has learned that a New York court recently denied WWE's restraining order against trading card company Panini. As a result, Panini will legally be able to continue making WWE product while both WWE and Panini's lawsuits against one another play out in court. The restraining order was denied by Judge Lorna Schofield for a currently unknown reason.

Furthermore, new documents related to the case have been made available to the public. According to Paul Lesko on Twitter, the documents state that WWE is accusing Panini of not fulfilling a part of their contract that required Panini to create digital trading cards or physical trading card games by June 1, 2022.

As a result of the alleged contract violation, WWE terminated their deal with Panini on August 25, 2023. Panini continued to make products, which is why WWE sued, according to Lesko.


Lesko also notes that the timing for WWE's termination of the contract with Panini is strange, given the fact that Panini allegedly would have been in violation of their contract with the company on June 2, 2022. Instead, WWE waited nearly 18 months to bring a lawsuit against Panini.

Panini notes that they fulfilled the physical trading card game part of the deal via Pack Wars and Box Wars at numerous conventions. WWE contests that Box/Pack Wars don't qualify as physical trading card games, and that images of physical trading cards don't count as digital trading cards, as those images are not for sale.

Lesko also states that WWE is asking for the court to order Panini to stop making and distributing anything related to WWE IP. Furthermore, WWE also wants Panini to return or destroy all existing inventory and pay over $5,000,000 as a result of the contract termination.

Fightful will continue to update fans on the latest news regarding the court battle between WWE and Panini. Fans can check out our first article on the matter by clicking here.​

 

[Chris]