Panini, renowned in the sports trading card industry, has taken a swing at the golf realm with a groundbreaking partnership. The company recently announced an exclusive deal with LIV Golf, expanding its repertoire to include trading cards featuring LIV Golf’s prominent players, marking a significant step in their history since the acquisition of Donruss.
Diving into this collaboration, Panini is set to roll out a fresh line of golf trading card products that will cater to the avid golf fans and collectors worldwide. These offerings will include physical trading cards, featuring match-worn memorabilia, player autographs, and more. Noteworthy is the introduction of LIV Golf trading cards under Panini’s esteemed Prizm and Impeccable brands, accompanied by a dynamic Panini Instant card program capturing the essence of tournaments and memorable moments.
LIV Golf, founded in 2022 and backed by Saudi Arabian support, boasts an impressive lineup of 54 players committed to the 2024 tour. With a majority of its 14 stops located outside the U.S. and a unique team-based format in their 54-hole tournaments, LIV Golf presents a fresh and exciting take on the traditional golfing scene. Panini has wasted no time in promoting the 2024 LIV team sets on its platform, showcasing the rapid progress of this exclusive partnership.
Greg Norman, Commissioner and CEO of LIV Golf, embraced the collaboration with Panini, emphasizing the potential to introduce innovative products to a global audience of fans and collectors. This venture aims to elevate the stature of LIV Golf players and teams within the collectibles sphere, a sentiment shared by Ian Poulter, Majesticks GC co-captain, who expressed his enthusiasm for teaming up with a leading trading card brand.
Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America, highlighted LIV Golf’s unique and innovative format as a driving force behind this partnership. He believes that the team and league structure of LIV Golf presents novel aspects of collectability for fans. Warsop sees LIV Golf’s appeal to younger audiences and its roster of elite players as a perfect fit for Panini’s brand, laying the foundation for a successful collaboration that will cultivate a dedicated fan base.
With the impending launch of this exciting new line of golf trading cards, Panini brings forth a diverse field of standout players, including major championship winners and golf legends, promising an enticing product range for golf enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. This move comes at a time when Upper Deck is gearing up to unveil its latest golf trading card set showcasing PGA Tour stars, indicating a burgeoning interest in golf collectibles and memorabilia.
