Topps Announces Nippon Professional Baseball Organization License Agreement

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Topps Company, Inc., a global leader in sports and entertainment trading cards and collectibles, today announced a 2021 licensing agreement with the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) for the production and distribution of trading cards in Japan. This is the first time in its 80-year history that the company has released official trading cards for the entire league, consisting of all 12 NPB teams.

This past year Topps has expanded its international presence by opening up an office in Tokyo to better serve the Japanese and Asian market's increasing demand for trading cards. 

"We have been actively pursuing the NPB league as a way to better serve baseball and sports fans in Japan and beyond," said David Leiner, Topps' Global General Manager, Sports and Entertainment. "We feel the licensing agreement will deliver fans an exciting range of collectible products and enhance how fans collect their favorite teams and players."

"We are very happy to have signed a licensing agreement with NPB in the memorable year when Topps started its business in Japan," said Satoshi Misu, Topps' Japan Country General Manager. "With the agreement, we hope to increase the number of trading card fans in Japan as much as possible. "

Topps will launch several products in 2021 to be sold in select retail locations throughout Japan starting in Q4.  In addition, Topps launched a local Japanese website, JP.Topps.com in September 2021.

Since the 1930s, Topps has continued to innovate products to include localized experiential, one-of-a-kind events and unique promotions that appeal to consumers. Through partnerships with proven local talent, and Topps' long-standing partnerships with global licensing partners like Major League Baseball, UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, WWE and Star Wars, this expansion in Japan is designed to support the creative culture of trading cards and continue Topps' heritage of empowering collectors and new fans across the globe.

For more information on Topps products and expansion, please visit Topps.com.

About The Topps Company
Founded in 1938, The Topps Company, Inc. is a global consumer products company that entertains and delights consumers through a diversified, engaging, multi-platform product portfolio that includes physical and digital collectibles, trading cards, trading card games, sticker and album collections, memorabilia, curated experiential events, gift cards and novelty confections. Topps Physical Sports & Entertainment products include Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, National Hockey League, Formula 1, Star Wars, WWE, Wacky Packages^®, Garbage Pail Kids^®, Mars Attacks^® and more. Topps Digital Sports & Entertainment has connected with people around the world who have downloaded our apps including Topps^® BUNT^®, TOPPS^® KICK^®, Star Wars™: Card Trader by Topps^®, Topps^® WWE SLAM™, Topps^® NHL SKATE™, Marvel Collect! by Topps^® and Disney Collect! by Topps^®. Topps Digital Services is a leading processor, distributor and program manager of prepaid gift cards and provider of cloud-based financial services and white label e-gift solutions for widely recognized digital businesses that include Airbnb, Deliveroo, DoorDash, Hulu, Instacart, Netflix, Nike, Twitch and Uber. Topps Confections, Bazooka Candy Brands, produces, markets and distributes confections brands including Ring Pop^®, Push Pop^®, Baby Bottle Pop^®, Juicy Drop^®, Finders Keepers^®, and Bazooka^® bubble gum. For additional information visit topps.com, play.toppsapps.com, toppsdigitalservices.com and Candymania.com.

SOURCE The Topps Company