Four months after announcing an extension of its partnership with Major League Baseball, Topps did the same with the league’s players.
The MLBPA and Topps will continue their global trading card partnership. A timeframe wasn’t offered but Topps’ new deal with MLB runs through 2025.
“Topps has been a great longtime partner of the MLB Players Association,” said Evan Kaplan, Director of Licensing and Business Development for the MLBPA. “Through its innovative trading cards and products, Topps has promoted Major League Baseball players in original ways giving a wide range of athletes the spotlight.”
In addition to its many traditional trading card releases in packs, Topps has earned points for highlighting players on various other initiatives including custom Fathers’ Day cards, Topps NOW and National Baseball Card Day. The players association gave credit to Topps for “reenergizing” the trading card category.
“Baseball fans and collectors connect in so many ways with MLB players and we are proud to feature them on our products,” said David Leiner, Topps Global Vice President and General Manager of Sports & Entertainment. “Extending our partnership with the MLBPA is vital for our player relationships and we are excited to continue to strive for breakthrough initiatives to execute together.”
One of these initiatives occurred earlier this season, when Topps enlisted Bryce Harper to create his own trading card set, which was made available for fans to purchase. Harper had creative control to choose the card and set design, the players, the product name and other features for this first-of-its-kind product.
“People collect cards because certain players or teams resonate with them. We want to continue that sense of excitement when they rip open a pack of cards as they search for their favorite players,” Leiner said. “Topps gives baseball fans a chance to get closer to the game and the players, and we are excited to continue our partnership with the MLBPA to reach those fans.”
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