Yes, Score Entertainment still produces baseball cards today, although they have changed ownership multiple times over the years. Score was a major player in the baseball card industry for decades. Some additional context:
Score entered the baseball card market in the 1960s and became known for innovative subsets and serial-numbered parallels that collectors loved. They produced popular sets like Score Board, Filmstars, and O-Pee-Chee throughout the 1970s and 80s. Score’s trademark stained glass-style designs were visually appealing to collectors at the time.
In the late 1980s, the baseball card market became oversaturated as many new companies entered the business chasing profits. The glut of mass-produced cards devalued the entire hobby. By the early 1990s, the baseball card bubble had burst. Score struggled as sales declined industry-wide. In 1992, they were acquired by Fleer Corporation, one of the two remaining major card manufacturers along with Topps.
Fleer consolidated Score’s library and production under their own banner. However, Fleer itself eventually ran into financial troubles due to the softened baseball card market. They sold their entire sports division, including Score assets, to The Topps Company in late 1995. Topps dominated the card industry for much of the remainder of the decade as their main competitor.
In 2006, in another major acquisition, The Topps Company was purchased by corporate investors for $385 million and taken private. There was some concern this might diminish Topps’ long-term commitment to the baseball card industry. Under new ownership, Topps continued operating their traditional card lines normally.
A year later in 2007, another private equity firm bought Fleer Corporation’s brand and intellectual property rights from its former parent company. This new Fleer brand owner licensed the Score name and trademarks to produce dedicated Score brand sets and reissue popular Score designs from the 1990s going forward.
In 2010, Score Entertainment was formally established as an independent company to manage the baseball card rights it had obtained. Score re-launched new flagship product lines like “Score Major League Legacy” in 2012, drawing on archives of classic Score designs from the 1970s and 80s. Subsequent Score sets aimed to faithfully recreate the look and feel of these nostalgic earlier releases.
Throughout the 2010s, Score released annual baseball card sets under license from Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association. Popular Score branded baseball products of this period included on-demand printed boxes, memorabilia cards with game-used fabric relics, and limited parallels/case-hits from high-tier offerings like “Score Legends” and “Score Platinum.” Score also issued special throwback sets each year.
In 2017, The Topps Company and professional wrestler Daniel Bryan sued Score Entertainment and its licensee claiming infringement of their intellectual property. The case was settled out of court in 2018. Though the terms were not disclosed, Score was allowed to continue baseball card production under new licensing agreements.
Today in 2022, Score remains an active baseball card manufacturer, albeit on a smaller scale compared to their industry dominance in previous eras. They hold licenses from MLB and MLBPA to create new wax box sets annually featuring current players. Score also continues revisiting their archives with retro-styled releases drawing inspiration from the 1970s-90s. While no longer one of the Big Two alongside Topps, Score is still recognized as a pioneering name that helped grow collecting enthusiasm for the hobby. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Score appears committed to sustainably producing new baseball cards year after year going forward that appeal to both modern and vintage collectors alike.
While ownership and production have changed hands multiple times, Score Entertainment maintains an ongoing presence creating officially licensed baseball cards today. They focus on tapping into nostalgia for their classic designs of the past alongside curated new annual releases centered around Major League players and a dedicated collector following. Score’s six-decade history so far suggests they will likely remain engaged in the sport for the foreseeable future.
