Menu
Marketing and Sponsorship

MLS makes Topps its official card

Major League Soccer has signed a six-year agreement with Topps that gives the card company the designation “official trading card producer” for MLS. Financial terms were unavailable.

Andrew Farrell's autographed card will be part of this year’s collection.
Topps, which aims to release its first MLS collection in July, receives exclusivity on cards, player stickers and sticker albums. The company plans to produce special cards of MLS stars such as Thierry Henry of the New York Red Bulls and Robbie Keane of the Los Angeles Galaxy. Autographed cards — featuring Andrew Farrell, the first overall pick in the 2013 draft by the New England Revolution, among others — will be part of this year’s collection, as well. The card company will activate at league events, including the All-Star Game in July and the season-ending MLS Cup championship match.

Maribeth Towers, MLS senior vice president of consumer products, said discussions with Topps started six months ago. The league’s trading card license with Upper Deck expired after the 2012 season.

Topps, which had never partnered with MLS before this deal, has trading card licenses with the English Premier League and the Bundesliga in Germany.

“We were impressed by Topps’ concepts for us and the success they’ve had in England and Germany,” Towers said.
Topps brand manager Jeff Heckman, who worked for the Los Angeles Galaxy from 2001-03 in sales and youth soccer programs, said his company needed little convincing about the growth of MLS.

“I saw the beginning of the trajectory when I was with the Galaxy and now I see MLS getting very close to the top four major leagues in North America,” Heckman said. “When the MLS license became available, we didn’t hesitate to bid. We see a lot of opportunities to develop business.”

MLS and Topps completed the agreement without agency involvement. Topps also has partnerships with the NFL, MLB, UFC and WWE.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2013/05/13/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Topps-MLS.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2013/05/13/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Topps-MLS.aspx

CLOSE