Fanatics land Premier League license (away from Panini)

[Hoddle01]

So, are Topps taking over the Premier League collections as from 2025/26 season? It will be a disaster if so.

Fanatics to replace Panini as Premier League cards, stickers provider

Premier League trading cards and stickers will be supplied by Fanatics Collectibles from June 2025 after an exclusive multi-year deal was struck for the American manufacturer to replace Panini. The name on any merchandise rolled out under the new agreement will be Topps, which was bought by...

theathletic.com

 

[Pillman]

Oh god no......NOOO!!!!

 

[Jamiepr74]

So, are Topps taking over the Premier League collections as from 2025/26 season? It will be a disaster if so.

Fanatics to replace Panini as Premier League cards, stickers provider

Premier League trading cards and stickers will be supplied by Fanatics Collectibles from June 2025 after an exclusive multi-year deal was struck for the American manufacturer to replace Panini. The name on any merchandise rolled out under the new agreement will be Topps, which was bought by...

theathletic.com

Excuse my French but we’re all fucking doomed if they recreate their Premier League efforts from 2010 to 2019 as they were an absolute pile of shit!

 

[dantzig]

Excuse my French but we’re all fucking doomed if they recreate their Premier League efforts from 2010 to 2019 as they were an absolute pile of shit!

I'm sure it won't be like that but considering their attempt for Euro 2024, there's not much hope indeed... Match Attax should be ok but stickers is still their big weak point... UCL stickers are not bad though, so let's see.

 

[GStephens]

I grew up with the Merlin collections in the 90's and they were wonderful. Then the Merlin name disappeared, the Topps name appeared and quality vanished. The attempt to put the Merlin brand back on the covers didn't help.

It means more parallels that's for sure. I can't wait for the crayon drawing of Old Trafford and Anfield!

In all seriousness though, if I were Panini I'd be worried. That's this license and the Euro's since Topps were bought out in 2022.

 

[Jamiepr74]

Topps obviously want to take over the market share and I’m sure that behind the scenes Topps were fuming that Panini released their England collection, and also their pending German equivalent “besten aus Europa” as clearly France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and England are like the “big five”.

The amount of gloating that Panini did saying “authentic kits” etc must have really pissed them off and the more market they have, the more clout to convince the “big five” to join them in time for 2028.

 

[jambogeordie]

Agreement starts in June 2025-horrible news for Panini sticker and card collectors.
Can the World Cup license be far behind...
Fanatics Lands Premier League Card Exclusive Starting 2025 (beckett.com)

 

[Hoddle01]

Another comment which is brutal but accurate.

Topps and Fanatics - Taking over the World

Premier League and Fanatics Collectibles Announce Landmark Multi-Year Trading Card, Trading Card Games and Stickers Partnership I have repro...

cartophilic-info-exch.blogspot.com

This is all about the money. The PL fat cats went with Fanatics for that reason.

Some of the shite they produced for the sticker albums before Panini took over is legendary SHITNESS.

Even the MA collection got stale and unimaginative the last few years.

Sad to see Panini lose the rights because truth to be told their sticker albums were all great and their AXL collection got better with every season.

Monopoly is not far away now, sadly for us.

I think the days of a 100% sticker album content is at an end. Both Panini and Topps will compete for official rights and individual player and team rights, which means you will need two collections to make up a full comprehensive representation of a league or tournament.

 

[dantzig]

Monopoly is not far away now, sadly for us.

I think it's still far though, Panini still holds 3 of 5 big leagues (Spain, Italy and France) and the most important of all, FIFA until 2030 at least... probably this last one was the cause for losing EPL now, the investment in FIFA license should have been the most expensive ever.

So I'm all for sharing the market, as long both are serious in all their important products, which was never the case.

Topps do need to upgrade their game in stickers, starting with a better glossy paper like Panini use in their league and 365 stickers... then fire the Euro 2024 designers and hire competent and driven designers... also fire all the greedy bitches who made the collections harder to complete with rarer stickers and shitty parallels... while you're at it, fire whoever failed to provide a decent service for last stickers, get a damn warehouse to stock on all their last years sets because these mofos are loaded in money if they can pay for EPL license... and most of all, return to decent prices like UCL had (10 stickers per packet for 1€ was very fair).

Heck, sounds easy, right?

Another comment which is brutal but accurate.

Topps and Fanatics - Taking over the World

Premier League and Fanatics Collectibles Announce Landmark Multi-Year Trading Card, Trading Card Games and Stickers Partnership I have repro...

cartophilic-info-exch.blogspot.com

Interesting, I've never seen Alan making personal statements... but yes, he's right and so are all the comments there too (Gary is you @GStephens?)... the last one would be me writing too, they have made some of their stickers quite rare and this Euro 2024 is the proof of it, I've never seen stickers from the main set so rare like the gold ones... if it wasn't for the guaranteed gold in some extra products, it would be chaos.

I think the days of a 100% sticker album content is at an end. Both Panini and Topps will compete for official rights and individual player and team rights, which means you will need two collections to make up a full comprehensive representation of a league or tournament.

It's taking that direction for sure, securing the best players rights and teams.

 

[GStephens]

Interesting, I've never seen Alan making personal statements... but yes, he's right and so are all the comments there too (Gary is you @GStephens?)... the last one would be me writing too, they have made some of their stickers quite rare and this Euro 2024 is the proof of it, I've never seen stickers from the main set so rare like the gold ones... if it wasn't for the guaranteed gold in some extra products, it would be chaos.

Actually that's a coincidence, it's not me but I agree with what my namesake says. That includes the Euro 2024 collection, I don't dislike that entirely as there are some good ideas but very poor execution.

Alan rarely gives his opinion so if he is slating something you know it's bad! He's probably fed up with having to update his blog with more new Topps collections each week than there are days! It really is quite ridiculous at this stage. Soon Topps can release a UCL or Euro 2024 album with the stickers/cards being the box art for all their other collections for the same tournament. That is exactly what will be happening in 18 months with the Premier League

 

[Guinness]

UCL stickers are not bad though, so let's see

This is really relatively speaking.

Because they had some great collections (2015/16, 2021/22) some good and other horrible.
My point is they can when they want. 2021/22 is one of the best collections there is, it had everything. Next year what they do? You know what they did.

F1 sticker collections went from bad, worse to please don't publish it.

Why is all that? My thought is they don't see it as that much profitable and (maybe) they don't see any future potential in it.

For example this EURO is really good for me honestly but I even I am (I as in someone who collects more often then just EC and WC and trying to stay informed of everything hobby-wise) agitaded by all different parralels - don't get me started what does "season" collectors think of it and how many questions I get about it.
It is completely annoying and unnecessary.

Signed gold stickers are beautiful addition to it and something new that literally everyone liked and approved.
Cartoon stadiums are also fun and nice addition for me rather then real ones - it creates some sort of unification and I personally like it.
Big minus is licensing issuing which I believe they could solve because they have all the same players in CL collections - I don't dislike the fact that not every FA is licensed, I understand that, but missing top players...

I understand I went a wee bit too far and got into reviewing Euro collection on topic of new PL collection license but my point is if they want to make bad-ass sticker collection they can.
But I am afraid we will only get ten different cards collections for one season highlighting all the new youngsters to have them as rookies rather then brining us one decent sticker collection.

 

[Jamiepr74]

I think it's still far though, Panini still holds 3 of 5 big leagues (Spain, Italy and France) and the most important of all, FIFA until 2030 at least... probably this last one was the cause for losing EPL now, the investment in FIFA license should have been the most expensive ever.

if Panini lose Italy, then you know they’ve got problems.

I’ll give Topps their due, the only domestic league that they have (that I know of) is the Bundesliga and whilst it’s not on a par with Calciatori and Premier League, it’s a pretty good album. I’m surprised that they haven’t tried (maybe they have in the past) to take over some of the domestic leagues as they are quite lucrative.

 

[LFC1892]

if Panini lose Italy, then you know they’ve got problems.

I’ll give Topps their due, the only domestic league that they have (that I know of) is the Bundesliga and whilst it’s not on a par with Calciatori and Premier League, it’s a pretty good album. I’m surprised that they haven’t tried (maybe they have in the past) to take over some of the domestic leagues as they are quite lucrative.

They could well lose Italy if Fanatics offer more dosh. German FA chose Nike as their next kit manufacturer over Adidas their German company and provider of the kit for over 60 years. Nothing will surprise me anymore.
Fanatics American owned with very deep pockets. Buying Topps was pocket change for them. They own the NFL, NBA & MLB & MLS card rights.

 

[Iulian]

Competition is always good for consumers, and Panini needed a wake up call for years. However, Topps (Fanatics) is not the competitor we needed, at least not for the stickers collections. Their products are too much in the hit-and-miss category. Only one in five is worth its money, with UCL 21/22 and SPFL 21/22 the only honorable mentions in recent years. And, like others mentioned here, they seem to have all the resources to produce high-quality collections every time, they just don't put in the effort and prefer releasing mediocre products just to tick boxes.

Panini's Premier League collections from 2020 onward were one of my yearly favorites, together with Calciatori. I have very slim hopes that Topps will produce anything of that level or even better quality with consistency. Euro 2024 proved they don't understand their collectors, both veterans and newbies. If Fanatics get their hands on calciatori as well, we can say goodbye and good riddance to the hobby.

 

[GStephens]

Does anyone know the intricacies of the FIFA 365 license? Does that specifically exclude it from going on sale in UK/Ireland or did Panini just choose not to release it here because they had the PL stickers and Adrenalyn and didn't see the point?

I wonder if we'll end up with FIFA 365 instead for a few years due to losing this license? I would certainly prefer that to the alternative which is a bunch of individual club collections like they did a decade ago with Man Utd & Liverpool.

 

[Pillman]

Will Panini need to remove all Premier League products from their websites after Topps takes over ? Like they did with the Euro ?

 

[dantzig]

Will Panini need to remove all Premier League products from their websites after Topps takes over ? Like they did with the Euro ?

Definitely, though you could still find in secondary marketplaces like amazon.

 

[Peakster]

So I guess now we all know what a real disaster Topps taking over the PL rights has been - the end of affordable PL collections for the majority of collectors.

 

[Peakster]

The 2026/27 edition of Topps Premier League card collection will be released on August 7th.

It will be last season's squads as it was last time, lots of parallels and a box will set you back about £100.

A lot of money for an already out of date collection.