Directories & comparisons
Who Makes Cards for Each League
Three major licences changed hands in eighteen months, and most reference pages still have it wrong. This is who holds what as of September 2026, when each changed, and what it means for the cards already in your collection.
What happened
Fanatics acquired Topps in 2022 and then took the three biggest North American licences in sequence: MLB first, the NBA in October 2025, and the NFL in April 2026. Panini, which had held NFL and NBA for over a decade, now produces unlicensed and NFLPA-only products alongside college material. Upper Deck retains the NHL — the one major league Fanatics does not hold.
What it means for cards you already own
- Licensed Panini cards became finite. No more will be printed for the NFL or NBA, which puts a fixed ceiling on supply of the best-regarded Panini products.
- Brand continuity broke. Long-running Panini lines cannot continue in licensed form, and collectors who built around a set now face a discontinuity.
- Unlicensed cards are a different market. Cards produced without team marks trade at a discount to the licensed equivalent even when the player and print run are identical.
Questions people ask about this
Who makes NFL cards now?
Topps, under Fanatics, from April 2026. Panini produced licensed NFL cards until then; every licensed NFL release after that date is Topps. Panini continues with NFLPA-only and unlicensed products, which show players without team marks.
Why did Panini lose the NBA and NFL licences?
Fanatics bid for and won long-term exclusives with both leagues and their players' associations, having already acquired Topps and the MLB rights. The NBA transition took effect in October 2025 and the NFL in April 2026, consolidating the three biggest North American licences under one company.
Are Panini cards still worth anything?
Yes, and the supply is now fixed for the licensed products. No further licensed Panini NFL or NBA cards will be printed, which caps the population of well-regarded lines permanently. Unlicensed Panini cards made after the transition are a separate market and trade at a discount to licensed equivalents.
Where these numbers come from
Rates on this page were last checked against the published price lists on . Grading companies change fees and pause tiers without notice — confirm the total on the submission form before you pay.
- League and manufacturer announcements — licence transitions as publicly confirmed