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MISCELLANEOUS November 22, 2021
Randall Williams
Randall Williams

NFL, Panini Announce First NFT Trading Card Packs

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Last Updated: July 5, 2023
Digital collectible football cards from Panini’s Mosaic set debut Dec. 1, with Prizm and Donruss Optic offerings coming in early 2022.

Panini America, the NFL and the NFLPA’s exclusive trading card partner, will launch pro football’s first NFT trading card packs beginning on Dec. 1, the parties announced Monday. The NFL NFT trading card packs will launch under Panini America’s Mosaic brand. Its two other card brands, Prizm and Donruss Optic, will make their respective digital debuts in January and February 2022.

Fans can purchase the non-fungible token collectibles on Panini’s private blockchain platform where both packs and individual cards will be available. Buyers will also be able to auction their NFTs on this marketplace.

“Trading cards have seen a resurgence in popularity making this the perfect time to release our first NFT Trading Card Packs with Panini America,” said Joe Ruggiero, SVP of Consumer Products at the NFL in a statement. “The NFL looks forward to partnering with Panini to offer NFL NFT trading cards, creating another touchpoint for engagement for fans.”

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The announcement comes after the league announced it will give fans the chance to receive complimentary virtual commemorative tickets in NFT form after attending select games from Thanksgiving Day through the end of the 2021 regular season. Panini, the NFL and the NFLPA began their exclusive partnership in 2016. 

Outside of the NFL, Panini has licenses with organizations as wide-ranging as the NBA and NBPA, FIFA, the Premier League, the UFC, the MLBPA, NASCAR, Disney, and Epic Games. The company also has ongoing partnerships with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. 

“The NFT marketplace has exploded right alongside the physical trading card market across all sports over the last several months, and the introduction of NFL NFT trading card packs will only make the marketplace that much more vibrant,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop in an official release. “We’re tremendously excited about the potential of this space and look forward to using the power of the NFL to continue growing the market.”

Randall Williams

Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.

NFLfootballtrading cardsNFTCollectiblesPaniniBlockchainEmerging Tech in Sports
About The Author
Randall Williams
Randall Williams
Randall Williams
Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.