Licensed football cards are still the exclusive province of Panini.
But even before Fanatics took over producing these items, they began to devalue the football cards made by Panini by depriving them of some of the biggest autographs in their releases.
But the announcement, made via a tweet on April 22, 2025, that Patrick Mahomes autos are returning to Panini products, signals the continued determination of the company to maintain its foothold in the sports card market. By securing Mahomes’ autographs for their 2025 NFL trading card products.
This strategic partnership represents a calculated move to retain collector interest and challenge Fanatics’ seemingly insurmountable market position. Here is the full story of the return of Mahomes’ autographs to Panini.
There are beautiful Mahomes autos in his rookie year in Panini products. Indeed, his RPAs are among the most valuable and beloved football cards of recent years.
His 2017 Panini National Treasures Platinum Shield autographed card sold for $4.3 million in 2021. That makes it the most expensive football card ever sold. It stands way ahead of the 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Championship Ticket Autograph Rookie Card that sold for a mere $3.1 million a month earlier. Ah, the crazy days of the COVID bubble.
Now, after years of absence from Panini products, the news was tweeted on April 22, 2025: “A true 1-of-1! Icons don’t copy or imitate, they build and innovate… Excited to announce Patrick Mahomes autographs will be featured in our 2025 Panini America NFL trading card products!”
Panini senior vice president Jason Howarth said, “Patrick is one of the NFL’s marquee players and has made a tremendous impact not only on the field but also in communities across the country. We are proud to continue our partnership with him at Panini, and to offer fans new autographed trading cards from Patrick that will be featured in our products.”
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback also released an official statement.
It read: “Panini has been with me since my NFL Draft party in 2017, and I’m excited to work with them on these new autographed trading cards. The Panini team continues to find ways to create exciting trading cards that fans have come to enjoy, and I’m looking forward to working with them to help develop these cards for the 2025 season.”
It is unclear why there have been no Mahomes autos in Panini products for so long. While Fanatics has a long list of athletes with exclusive deals, Mahomes is not one of them.
Therefore, they likely could not agree on the terms over the last few years. Panini reportedly offered a higher offer this year, which Mahomes could not refuse.
But the deal goes beyond that. Mahomes will be actively promoting Panini products this year. According to the report in The Athletic: “Panini will also work with Mahomes on additional strategic and marketing initiatives.”
We have already seen the first of these collaborations. To celebrate the return of Mahomes to their products, Panini has released a video showing the star in the context of some of their most iconic designs
. As the company explained in their press release: “To celebrate the announcement Panini introduced a video that showcases Patrick Mahomes as an iconic talent and incorporates via animation key elements from some of Panini’s most popular trading card products including, Panini’s ‘Color Blast’, it’s popular ‘Downtown’ trading card design and the comic book style ‘KaBoom.’
The video is very cool. The narration has that Nike ad vibe, but it works.
On its own, the move does not mean very much. The Panini press statement release states, “Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes autographed trading cards will be featured in Panini’s upcoming NFL trading card products for the 2025 season.”
Two things immediately stand out. This deal is not an exclusive one. That means we may also see him in Fanatics cards in 2025. It will be interesting to see if his autos appear in 2025 Topps Chrome Football and the like. Second, the agreement is only for 2025.
That is a season that Panini has the rights to in terms of licensing. So, in essence, all this means is that Mahomes will have his autograph in these licensed products. Something that should have been happening anyway, if there hadn’t been some disagreement between Mahomes and Panini.
Panini has aggressively secured exclusive autograph contracts with several high-profile 2025 NFL Draft prospects in order to maintain relevance in the rapidly evolving sports card market.
The company has locked down deals with quarterback prospects JJ McCarthy and Jayden Daniels, along with the versatile two-way star Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, signaling a calculated effort to ensure their 2025 trading card products remain competitive and attractive to collectors.
These signings represent more than just licensing agreements; they are tactical maneuvers in the ongoing battle between Panini and Fanatics for market dominance, with each company strategically targeting emerging talent to maintain their foothold in the sports memorabilia landscape.
The autograph contract war highlights the increasing complexity of the sports collectibles industry, where athlete signatures have become a critical battleground. While Panini has secured several notable rookies, Fanatics has countered by signing exclusive deals with other top draft prospects like Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, and Drake Maye.
This competitive dynamic reflects a broader strategic approach where both companies recognize that young, promising athletes can drive collector interest and become long-term brand ambassadors.
By aggressively pursuing these exclusive autograph rights, Panini is not just trying to populate their 2025 card sets but is attempting to demonstrate to the market and potential investors that they remain a significant and innovative force in sports collectibles, even as their traditional league licensing agreements are set to expire.
Fanatics has been aggressively pursuing exclusive deals with athletes across various sports, a strategy central to their ambition of dominating the sports collectibles market. These signings range from established superstars such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, whose autographed memorabilia command top dollar, to rising stars like Connor Bedard, the NHL’s reigning rookie of the year.
By securing these exclusive agreements, Fanatics aims to guarantee a steady stream of high-demand, authentic products for collectors while limiting autograph availability for competing companies like Panini.
This approach strengthens Fanatics’ market position and allows them to control the narrative around these athletes’ memorabilia and trading cards.
A year ago, it seemed like Panini was cooked. They were running out of contracts with the NBA and the NFL and lost their Premier League contract. Meanwhile, there was a sense that their lawsuits with Topps were a dead end.
Since then, the situation has changed significantly. However, the overall situation still favors Fanatics. Starting next year, they will have exclusive contracts for all the big American sports. There is no denying that.
But Panini has seemed assertive lately and unwilling to go away without a fight. The company has been leveraging social media platforms with targeted campaigns, including a #WhoDoYouCollect hashtag to engage collectors by personalizing the collecting experience.
It makes sense for them to make collecting more personal and focused on players rather than leagues, since it is losing the rights to some of the most notable among these. How successful this strategy will be remains to be seen.
I have seen some ads during NBA playoff games for their NASCAR releases. The budget for these spots was considerable, and the results were eye-catching.
Internationally, Panini launched an intriguing “GOAT of Swaps” campaign for the Premier League, which featured a live goat as its central character.
Additionally, they’ve been promoting specific athlete partnerships, such as their recent trading card sets featuring Caitlin Clark and Arch Manning, demonstrating a strategy of highlighting individual athletes to drive collector interest.
The legal battle extends beyond market competition, revealing a complex narrative of industry transformation and potential corporate survival. Panini’s claims paint Fanatics as engaging in predatory tactics, including the strategic acquisition of GC Packaging (Panini’s primary card printer) and creating what they describe as an “incestuous relationship” with leagues and players’ unions through unprecedented equity stakes.
While the court’s ruling is not a definitive victory, it represents a critical validation of Panini’s claims, allowing their antitrust allegations under Counts I-III to proceed. Industry experts like Ed Schauder suggest the most likely outcome might be monetary damages, with an intriguing possibility of an eventual merger between the two companies.
This legal confrontation transcends a corporate dispute, symbolizing a pivotal moment in determining whether the sports card collecting hobby will remain a competitive marketplace or become dominated by a single, powerful entity.
Panini has mounted a bold and strategic legal counteroffensive against Fanatics, transforming what initially seemed like an inevitable market defeat into a meaningful legal challenge.
In a significant judicial victory, the company secured a crucial ruling from Chief U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who allowed key components of their antitrust lawsuit to proceed to discovery. This ruling represents more than a procedural win; it validates Panini’s claims that Fanatics has systematically engaged in anti-competitive practices designed to eliminate competition in the sports card market.
By successfully arguing that Fanatics’ exclusive long-term licensing deals and aggressive market tactics potentially violate antitrust laws, Panini has kept alive a legal strategy that could fundamentally challenge Fanatics’ market dominance.
Panini has had to move into new markets or expand existing ones that were not central to its existence until recently. Take, for example, their strategic move into mixed martial arts (MMA) trading cards through a partnership with the Professional Fighters League.
That signaled a deliberate pivot to emerging sports markets. They’ve also managed to maintain their Formula 1 licensing deal, which provides a stable alternative revenue stream.
Additionally, Panini has been exploring niche markets, such as expanding its WNBA trading card offerings. The emergence of Caitlin Clark as one of the most popular athletes in America and one of the most graded athletes in the hobby has been a major boon to Panini. They hope that future stars in the league will enjoy similar exposure so that the WNBA can make up some of the lost NBA and NFL revenue.
The company is simultaneously investing in digital transformation and community engagement strategies to maintain relevance. It has also introduced the “Chef Program,” a groundbreaking business model designed to reward influencers and innovators who help Panini launch new products.
This approach suggests Panini is not just trying to replace lost licenses, but fundamentally reimagining their relationship with collectors. By focusing on community-driven initiatives, exploring alternative sports markets, and creating unique product experiences,
Panini is positioning itself as an adaptable brand that can thrive beyond traditional sports card licensing, potentially turning its current challenge into an opportunity for radical reinvention.
The Mahomes autograph deal is part of Panini’s larger strategic fight for survival in an increasingly consolidated sports collectibles landscape.
While the agreement is technically non-exclusive and limited to the 2025 season, it symbolizes something far more significant: Panini’s unwavering determination to remain relevant in an industry that seems determined to write them off.
As Fanatics continues its aggressive expansion and Panini faces the potential loss of major league licensing, moments like the Mahomes autograph return become critical narrative inflection points. They signal to collectors, investors, and the broader sports memorabilia ecosystem that Panini will not simply fade away.
Whether this strategy succeeds remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Panini is making it clear that they will not quietly go into the corporate night.
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