The giants of sports cards, Fanatics/Topps, aren’t pausing to catch their breath at the upcoming acquisition of the NBA license next year and the NFL rights in two years. The Industry Conference held in Atlanta recently unveiled a well-crafted roadmap revealing the ambitious plans to ramp up sports card production in the basketball, football, UFC, soccer, and F1 domains.
Starting things off with a slam dunk, Topps Chrome is set to return to the hardcourt this summer – its first appearance since the 2009-10 season. The excitement around this is already at fever pitch, and an autographed card from NBA’s latest attraction, Victor Wembanyama, is expected to stoke the excitement further. Topps has bagged exclusive autograph contracts with the likes of Wembanyama, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kevin Durant, among others. This year, collectors can look forward to an exciting lineup featuring ‘Midnight Cosmic’, ‘Chrome Finest’, ‘Motif’, ‘Royalty Collection’, ‘Collegiate Chrome’, and ‘Bowman U Chrome’. However, the NBA logos or team nicknames will stay off-limits for Topps until the official license transitions from Panini America next year.
Football fans aren’t left out as Topps crafts its upcoming releases primarily around college themes. The planned introductions include ‘Motif’, ‘Composite’, ‘Collegiate Chrome’, ‘Collegiate Royalty’, ‘Bowman U Chrome’, and ‘Bowman U Best’, all set to hit the market in the third quarter of 2024. It’s worth noting that Topps will only start off on its NFL licensing journey in 2026.
Topps isn’t stopping at basketball and football. It’s giving the soccer fandom something to cheer about with the introduction of the Champions League Dynasty product, featuring exclusive on-card autographs and match-worn gear. A unique addition to the field is the women’s Champions League product with patch autographs. The company will also be introducing “The Grail” inserts across six soccer products, promising an enticing grand prize – an all-expense-paid trip to the 2024-25 Champions League Final.
UFC has been gaining fans faster than a flurry of jabs, and Topps is stepping into the octagon, armed with the Finest series and an array of premium products like ‘Royal’, ‘UFC Midnight’, ‘Knockout’, and ‘Gold Label’.
Lastly, gearheads will be thrilled to hear that the F1 collection from Topps is taking pole position with the introduction of ‘Paddock Pass’. Along with this, releases like ‘Topps Chrome Finest’ and ‘Dynasty’ (featuring booklet cards and Michael Schumacher cut signatures) will be coming down the track.
The sporting world is in for a treat with the flurry of new releases from Fanatics/Topps. By expanding their offerings across multiple sports platforms, they stay true to their commitment to broadening their reach and enhancing the sports card collecting experience. These are indeed promising times for collectors and sports enthusiasts alike. The stage is set, the anticipation is high, and the only question now is – are you ready to collect ’em all?
