Trading cards devoted exclusively to pro tennis players are coming to Topps—and it’s not just a one time thing.
Winners Alliance, the for-profit affiliate of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), has partnered with Fanatics Collectibles on a 20-year deal to provide players the opportunity to be included on cards. It’s the first group licensing agreement in the history of professional tennis.
According to Winners Alliance, the cards will be issued on an annual basis.
Winners Alliance was founded last year in an effort to generate off-the-court commercial opportunities for players and their agents, emulating the successful model of players associations in other sports. At the time of its founding, WA indicated a group licensing program for video games, cards and collectibles would be among its first priorities.
Men’s and women’s players who opt in to the PTPA group licensing agreement will have the opportunity to participate in the deal. In the upcoming months, the PTPA says it will expand the program to include additional players.
“What an amazing opportunity for players to be part of an annualized tennis trading card program featuring dozens of women’s and men’s players. The group licensing model is key to including athletes in wide-ranging licensed products like this. This deal, and the future deals to come, will not only increase the financial upside for players – but they will also help grow the game for generations to come,” remarked Ons Jabeur, the fifth-ranked women’s player in the world.
“The PTPA and Winners Alliance are true leaders in the sport of tennis, and we’re incredibly excited for Topps to be their exclusive trading card partner,” said Kelvin Smith, Vice President of Global Licensing and Partner Development, Fanatics Collectibles. “With Fanatics Collectibles’ focus on reaching new audiences and enhancing the collector experience, we’re thrilled to be bringing the trading card hobby to tennis fans around the world for the first time.”
There’s no word yet on when the first product will be available or which players will be included.
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