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ROSEMONT, IL - JULY 31: A Caitlin Clark sports card, which is owned by Eran Haroni, of Los Angeles, Calif., rests on the table at the Topps booth during the 45th National Sports Collectors Convention at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois on July 31, 2025. The card, with a grade of 9.5, is predicted to sell for over $1 million in two weeks.
Trading card giant Panini has dropped a bombshell allegation against rival Fanatics in a lawsuit alleging antitrust violations, particularly regarding Fanatics’ acquisition of exclusive rights to the NFL and NBA.
In a recent court filing, Panini claims that Fanatics, which seemingly has its hands in every single aspect of the sports world these days, illicitly obtained confidential information belonging to Panini.
The filing then claims that Fanatics used that information in order to secure a deal with the NFL and NBA, as well as their respective players’ associations.
Panini Claims Fanatics Cheated To Get Trading Card Rights
Daniel Kaplan of Front Office Sports reports that Panini recently added the major claim to its three-year-old antitrust litigation against Fanatics.
In the filing, Panini states that “Fanatics acquired its long-term exclusives through the use of Panini’s confidential information. Fanatics gained access to Panini’s commercially sensitive, confidential licensing information in direct violation of the confidentiality provisions contained in those licenses or in violation of confidentiality Panini was entitled to expect regarding this information.”
However, the filing does not state how Fanatics gathered this information. Rather, it claims the information gave Fanatics a leg up in negotiations with the two leagues.
“Fanatics obtained granular details of Panini’s existing deals, including the precise royalty rate, minimum guarantee schedule, marketing commitments, and autograph spend obligations under Panini’s licenses. Fanatics used that information in connection with procuring exclusive licenses.”
Fanatics has recently put out multiple cards valued at over seven figures, including both a Cooper Flagg rookie card and a Paul Skenes 1-of-1 patch card.