PANINI AMERICA INKS EXCLUSIVE TRADING CARD AGREEMENTS WITH SEVEN TOP DRAFT PICKS IN ADVANCE OF THURSDAY’S 2014 NBA DRAFT
Projected first-round picks Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid and Marcus Smart headline a deep 2014-15 class whose NBA Rookie Cards will arrive in October
IRVING, Texas (June 25, 2014) – Panini America (www.paniniamerica.net), the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and the exclusive trading card manufacturer of the National Basketball Association (NBA), announced today that it has reached exclusive trading card agreements with seven projected first-round picks in advance of Thursday’s 2014 NBA Draft: Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Jabari Parker (Duke), Joel Embiid (Kansas), Dante Exum (Australia), Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Noah Vonleh (Indiana) and Tyler Ennis (Syracuse). Panini America announced the signing of Exum in April.
The new agreements grant Panini America exclusive rights to produce officially licensed NBA Rookie Cards and autographed trading cards of these future NBA stars. The first Rookie Cards and autographs of the 2014-15 NBA Draft class will arrive in October inside the company’s 2014-15 NBA Hoops product, which carries a $1.99 retail pack price point.
“This is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic and talented drafts in a number of years, and that has generated a lot of hype and demand already for our entire line of 2014-15 NBA trading card releases,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “The seven players we inked to exclusive deals represent the best of a top-flight class. We’re excited to see where they go Thursday night – and even more excited about producing their first NBA trading cards.
ABOUT PANINI:
The Panini Group, established almost 50 years ago in Modena, Italy, has subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for MLBPA, NBA, NFL, NHL, FIFA, USA Baseball, Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. and other key properties from many other licensors. Panini has distribution channels in more than 100 countries and employs a staff of over 800. For more information visit us at www.paniniamerica.net, www.paninigroup.com or www.paniniamerica.wordpress.com. You can also follow Panini America on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and on YouTube.
The company also has exclusive relationships with USA Baseball and USA Basketball. In addition, Panini also has relationships with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and owns exclusive entertainment licenses with Disney, One Direction, Michael Jackson, and more than 600 global licenses with other sports and entertainment properties.
Media Contact:
Tracy Hackler, Panini America
214-552-3475
thackler@paniniamerica.net
PR: Panini Announces NBA Rookie Exclusive Deals
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