Panini America recently announced exclusive autograph deals with football prospects Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.
The signings will allow the company to include NFL-licensed autographed rookie cards of the players in 2025 products.
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With the agreements, Panini can avoid a similar situation as recent football and basketball products when it couldn’t include autos of top rookies like Jayden Daniels and Victor Wembenyama, both signers with Topps/Fanatics.
Exclusive auto deals have created a tricky situation for card collectors.
In the case of Daniels, collectors could get autographed cards of him from Topps products that were not NFL-licensed.
The top card sales of Daniels from the past year were still Panini-issued NFL cards. There was still plenty of value in rare, non-signed cards, but collectors love their signed rookie cards.
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With Wembenyama’s rookie year products from 2023-24, Panini included him on NBA-licensed issues without autographs and Topps featured autographed, unlicensed cards.
Panini had to make the deals with Sanders and Hunter to make the most of its football products in its last year with the NFL license.
These signings are a smart business move by Panini. It knows that it can market the upcoming season’s NFL cards featuring two of the top football prospects.
Topps is expected to take over the NFL license on March 1, 2026.
Hunter, a standout cornerback and wide receiver at the University of Colorado, is projected to be a top-three pick in the draft. Sanders, Colorado’s quarterback, also could be taken in the first round.
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The deals with Sanders and Hunter are not multi-year deals, a Panini representative confirmed. That timing is important.
Panini has about a year to use Sanders and Hunter in its marketing initiatives and has big plans for its autograph exclusives.
“During the partnership, Panini will showcase Sanders throughout its lines of Panini NFL products, including their Instant Card platform, and he will be featured in select Panini marketing activations. Panini will also work on a number of initiatives that are important to Shedeur,” Panini said in a press release.
Expect to see Panini cards of Hunter and Sanders beginning on draft night, April 24, and for the next year.
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