There was a time back-in-the day when the only cards worth owning were made by Topps or Upper Deck. Times sure have changed, and LeBron James is leading the way.
For the last two decades LeBron James has had a trading card sponsorship deal with Upper Deck that saw him earning $1 million dollars a deal.
That all changed when LeBron James signed a deal with Fanatics Collectibles that will pay him a rumored $5 million dollars a year.
If you’re like me and wondering whatever happened to the trading card company Topps, it turns out Fanatics Collectibles acquired them in 2022 for $500 million dollars, so yea, I’m not going to worry about them anymore.
That was just a small part of Fanatics Collectibles’ recent success, in addition to replacing trading card company “Panini as the official trading card maker for the NBA and its players association starting in 2026.” according to an article on CNBC.
“Fanatics Collectibles has also secured long-term, exclusive rights to design, manufacture and distribute trading cards for other sports properties, including Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the National Football League Players Association.”
So while it’s always nice to be LeBron James, it turns out it’s REALLY good to be Fanatics Collectibles these days!
LeBron James signs trading card deal with Fanatics Collectibles, leaving Upper Deck