Panini, Baseball Hall of Fame Announce Trading Card Agreement

Panini America announced that it has reached a multi-year trading card agreement with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum beginning with the 2012 season.

The deal grants Panini America the trading cards rights to use all Hall of Fame inductees, as well as all Hall of Fame marks, artifacts and induction ceremony images in six of the company’s baseball card sets per year.

It is the third relationship Panini has secured with a sports hall of fame, adding to their existing relationships with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and The Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum represents the greatest players and personalities the sport has ever known and this partnership will help us bring that level of unparalleled excellence to our products,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “The trading cards we make utilizing this license will no doubt be Hall of Fame worthy.”

“We’ve been impressed with how quickly Panini America has established its leadership position in the sports collectibles arena since coming to the U.S. in 2009, and we’re thrilled with the prospects of this relationship,” said Sean Gahagan, retail and licensing vice president for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Their creativity and innovation are second to none, and we’re eager to see the new product releases for the coming year.”

Panini America’s first incorporation of the new license will come with the release of Prime Cuts Baseball, due out in March.