Panini America has held the exclusive license to produce MLB-licensed trading cards since 2020 after taking over from Topps. Their partnership with Major League Baseball is currently set to run through 2025. Based on the terms of this existing agreement, it seems very likely that Panini will continue to produce a full range of baseball cards for the 2023 season and beyond.
Some key considerations around Panini’s MLB baseball card production plans for 2023 include:
Panini has seriously ramped up its baseball card offering since acquiring the MLB license. In 2021 and 2022 they released numerous high-end, mid-tier and value products across both trading cards and sticker collections. This includes popular sets like Prizm, Donruss, Contenders, Immaculate Collection and National Treasures. The breadth and regularity of new releases shows a strong ongoing commitment to the MLB category.
Panini expanded its licensing agreement with MLB in late 2021 to gain additional rights around usage of team logos and uniforms on cards starting in 2022. This extension suggests both parties are pleased with how the partnership has developed so far. Unless unforeseen issues emerge, it’s reasonable to assume the existing deal will continue as planned through its original end date of 2025.
Baseball card product research has found that Panini’s 2022 MLB sets are generally well received by collectors, with strong initial sales and robust aftermarkets developing for some parallels and autographed/memorabilia cards. This indicates there is solid ongoing consumer demand for Panini MLB cards, providing a strong incentive for them to remain invested in the space.
Panini successfully launched its National Treasures and Immaculate Collection football brands to the baseball sphere in 2021/22. These high-dollar, case-hit models are becoming collectors favorite MLB categories, promising sustainable long-term interest. Panini will want to build on this momentum with future releases.
To satisfy the annual cycle of the MLB season and trading card releases synced to real-life on-field performances, Panini requires long-term commitments to its sports licensing partners. One-year dalliances don’t serve its business model. The 2023 season would mark only the natural next step in its planned rollout.
There is widespread expectation in the trading card community that Panini will strike an extension to its MLB license deal before the initial agreement expires in 2025. A new contract would likely lock Panini into baseball cards for many more years ahead. So production for 2023 is seen as an effectively guaranteed stepping stone to future seasons.
Staffing up experienced baseball card design, marketing and sales teams requires significant long-term investment from Panini. Unless anything unexpectedly changes in its MLB relationship, there is no indication they would abandon these teams and efforts after just three years. Production for 2023 allows maximum return on these investments to date.
Secondary market pricing data continues to suggest increasing interest and value retention for recent Panini MLB cards, as speculation grows around future scarcity and new designs/exclusives. This enthusiasm helps Panini profitably support future large production print runs needed for the 2023 season.
Considering Panini’s substantive existing agreement with MLB running through 2025, its ramped-up baseball investment and commitment so far, and general alignment of incentives between the companies, it is extremely likely that Panini will once again produce a full portfolio of MLB trading card products focused on statistics, memorabilia and performances from the upcoming 2023 season. Their established licensing deal and production momentum point overwhelmingly to Panini maintaining baseball card releases next year and serving collectors’ needs as the League’s licensed card provider. Unless unforeseen circumstances intervene, 2023 production can be virtually guaranteed at this point in the companies’ multi-year partnership journey.
