Fanatics-owned Topps released its 2024 Topps Chrome Tennis solution Wednesday, and this year’s cast includes half as numerous players—more than 200—thanks to a freedom package done with the Professional Tennis Players Association’s for-profit online, Winners Alliance.
That agreement, which was Pro Tennis ‘ first class licensing agreement, was expected to result in yearly produces for the next 20 years, giving tennis fans and players a product that has become one of the two biggest revenue individuals for established organizations like the MLBPA and NFLPA, along with video games. In 2020, Topps reportedly paid the baseball players group more than$ 20 million, for example.
Over time, the tennis deal has the potential to generate more than$ 100 million in royalties.
Winners Alliance leader Eric Winston said,” This kind of a size and the way we’ve done it– this is not the way things have always operated in tennis.” In the future, it” sets people up for more and more of these kinds of deals.”
Topps Chrome Tennis licence income will be evenly divided among people appearing in the goods, though many stars have also done individual deals to provide their autographs to the collection, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Tennis traditions such as Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Monica Seles and Venus Williams even have memorabilia mixed into the solution. Each activity box, starting at$ 190, may include 12 boxes, three of which are expected to have signatures. Certain materials will also be available for purchase at this year’s U. S. Open.
Nevertheless, fans hoping to acquire Rafael Nadal accounts will have to look elsewhere. Present world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, has an exclusive deal with Panini ( both the tennis star and the collectibles company hail from Italy ).
People getting their first cards—including National Ben Shelton—will receive a quarterback card level. Going ahead, Winston said tickets can also include match-used paraphernalia: hoops, balls, garments and so on. For the time being, the set does not include any event names.
Two more sport cards products—Topps Graphite and Topps Royalty—will follow later this month.
Since being acquired by Fans for$ 500 million in 2022, Topps has expanded its goods investment, inking talks with school sports and regional sports organizations. Topps ran its second brand awareness campaign during the 2024 Olympics, and the company has increased its advertising budget.
” It’s not just the promotion that they’ve leaned into, but also the storytelling”, Winston said. It’s not just giving followers paper; rather, it’s actually telling a story about this person, what this cards means, and what it represents. I believe that’s crucial, and that’s a major reason why this will succeed.
The PTPA, which was established in 2019, represents players in the top 500 and those in the top 200 of the WTA and ATP positions. The for-profit arm was launched in 2022 after the group added$ 26 million in funding thanks to a raise co-led by Bill Ackman’s foundation.