Panini America and Funko Introduce New Collectible for Sports Enthusiasts: Funko Pop! Trading Card

Like Pop! Comic Covers, New Product Will Feature Pop! with Panini Prizm Trading Card Art Packaged Together in a Protective Case that Can Be Displayed.

Panini America, the world’s largest licensed sports and entertainment collectibles company and Funko, Inc. (Nasdaq: FNKO), a leading pop culture consumer products company announced a new Pop! product line, Funko Pop! Trading Card, that will extend across multiple sports later this year. The initial series will feature six NBA players and six NFL players and will hit retail shelves in time for the holiday shopping season.

The introduction of Funko Pop! Trading Card will incorporate Panini’s globally popular Prizm trading card brand for both the NBA and NFL. Similar to the very popular Pop! Albums and Pop! Comic Covers, Pop! Trading Card will feature the Panini Prizm trading card art packaged together in a protective case that can be hung on a wall.  The Pop! Vinyl figure will replicate the poses from the player imagery used on the respective Prizm trading cards.

“We are excited to enter into this collaboration with Funko. The success of our Panini trading cards in the collectible space along with the success that Funko is experiencing in the vinyl figure collectibles space makes this the ideal collaboration for sports fans and consumers,” said Jason Howarth, Vice President of Marketing for Panini America.

“This is the perfect union of two amazing collector bases,” said Funko Manager of Brand Licensing, Matt Lattier. “The strength of what Panini is doing in the trading card space and Funko’s passionate fan base provides trading card and Pop! collectors the opportunity to display their fandom in a unique way.”

Fans can follow @originalfunko and @paniniamerica for more updates on launch timing and retail availability.