Panini is playing the legal card against the NFL Players Association.
Via Darren Rovell of ActionNetwork.com, the trading-card giant has commenced legal action against the NFLPA over the termination of the arrangement with Panini, by filing a demand for arbitration with the American Arbitration Association.
“We think the [NFL] union’s termination is improper and ineffective,” attorney David Boies told Rovell.
The move undoubtedly flows directly from the contract between Panini and the NFLPA. It’s a common term in commercial agreements, with the two parties waiving their ability to file a traditional lawsuit and embracing the cheaper and more efficient process of allowing one person — a practicing lawyer or retired judge, usually — to resolve the dispute.
Panini and the NFLPA had a contract that ran through 2026. On Monday, the NFLPA canceled the deal and granted exclusive rights to Fanatics.
“The decision was made in the best interest of all players and we are not discussing anything beyond that at this time,” NFLPA spokesman George Atallah told Rovell.
Boies told Rovell that the NFLPA cited a “change in control” provision of the contract, arguing that Panini has undergone a sufficient shift in management to allow the move.
Rovell notes that Panini also began selling a new NFL product on Wednesday, 2023 Luminance. The box features Jalen Hurts on the cover and has a retail cost of $249.95.
Moving forward, there will be a potential split between the NFLPA license, held by Fanatics, and the NFL license, still held by Panini. That could mean a return to the days of Topps cards with helmets that had the logos erased from the images.
