The trading card ecosystem and its rapid growth | How team and player licensing agreements work | Working with athletes and maximising their value

Episode 102 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast lifts the lid on the inner workings of trading card licensing agreements, featuring conversations with Panini America’s VP of Sales and Product Development DJ Kazmierczak (starts at 1.55) and Malaika Underwood, SVP of Licensing at OneTeam Partners, the organisation that helps the likes of the NFL Players’ Association and other player unions maximise the value of athletes’ names and images (starts at 24.30).

On the conversation agenda:

- How licensing agreements between teams/athletes and companies like Panini actually work;

- The growth of the trading card ecosystem and the emergence of breaking;

- The biggest challenge for licensees like Panini;

- The importance of rookie cards;

- Panini's production decisions around high value cards;

- How OneTeam Partners is aiming to build more comprehensive partnerships and unlock new revenue streams for the player unions it works with;

- What athletes want from licensing agreements;

- The trading card from 2020 you ought to have in your collection.