Sports Trading Cards Market is segmented by Age Group (Teenager, and Adult) by Type (Physical Cards, and NFT Cards), by Card Type (Character Card, Image Card, Autograph Card, and Others), by Sales Channel (Licensed Collectible Manufacturers, Specialized Collectibles Marketplace, E-commerce Portals, and Offline Retails and Auction Houses), by Region (United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Russia, China, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, Austria, South Korea, Middle East, Japan, Africa, Rest of World) and Sports Trading Cards Market companies (Futera, Leaf Trading cards, Panini SPA, Topps., Upper Deck Company, Tristar Productions, Bowman Gum Company, Ace Authentic, Wonder Bread, Donruss)
Collectible cards are also known as trading cards. Trading cards often deal with sports. Usually made of thick paper and cardboard, a sports trading card includes a picture of a sports players, a historic sports moment, sports equipment, and much more related to sports. Baseball cards are highly popular sports card worldwide. Technology advancements have driven the market for sports trading cards in recent years. With the rapid growth in popularity of online trading card games, it will not be long before they are directly translated from offline trading card games or stand-alone trading card games.
The Sports Trading Cards market was estimated at USD 12,927.3 million in 2021 and is forecast to reach a market value of USD 49,373.2 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 13 %.
Innovations in the field of trading cards drive the global market for sports trading cards. Rising urbanization and the rapid growth of emerging markets such as the Middle East and the Asia Pacific are boosting the sports trading market growth. There are many opportunities for business expansion across the sports trading cards industry in India and China, two of the biggest emerging markets. Emerging markets in developing countries have been driving the global sports trading card market, due to the increasing development and urbanization.
There are many sporting events, such as the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and Major League Baseball (MLB), that have Internet-accessible devices and sponsorships. Multiple sports channels have contributed to the growth of the global sports trading card market. On the other hand, the global sports trading card market faces several obstacles and limitations. With the explosion in internet usage and the abandonment of sports cards, the growth of the offline sports trading card industry is hampered.
A lack of awareness, rising prices of sports cards, and esports gambling are the factors suppressing the growth of the global sports trading card market. Further, the sports trading card industry is also experiencing a growth spurt due to the increasing technologies and demand for new, recent, and vintage cards. Traders have shown extremely impressive returns on sports card investments during the forecast period.
Shift from Physical to NFT Trading Card
Trading cards and card games have been popular since the 1990s long before NFT collectibles existed. Whether it is rare Pokémon cards or sports cards, collectors have spent thousands of dollars to collect rare cards. With the popularity of physical trading cards and the rise of blockchain technology, these items moved into the digital space. NFT trading cards are virtual representations of their underlying physical assets. The NFT will endure on the blockchain even if the physical version is lost or destroyed.
By creating a token on Ethereum or another smart contract blockchain, people create a virtual representation of these cards. Tokens are nonfungible and contain metadata about a card, particularly its image. Through NFT-enabled wallets, these can be stored, viewed, and transferred.
Sports Trading Cards market segmentation
The largest platform for selling sports trading cards has led to a newfound interest in the sports trading card market, due to the digital integration of sports trading card games and online portals. Sports trading cards appear in every sport possible, from National Basketball Association, National/International Football League. Sports trading cards find extensive applications in cricket, association football, baseball, boxing, cycling & others.
Based on Type, the market is bifurcated into Physical Cards and NFT Cards. Further, on the basis of card type, the market has been segregated as Character Card, Image Card, Autograph Card, and Others. The autograph card segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period. Autograph cards are sports trading cards autographed by the professional sportsperson or the player. Autograph on the sports cards enhances the value of the card making it unique and special for the fans. Different types of autographed sports trading cards, which include sticker autograph cards, and on-card autograph cards. The rising value of autograph cards is estimated to drive the demand for these cards across the forecast timeline.
5 billion dollars’ worth of Fanatics shares are owned by the sports trading cards of NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and various players unions.
Fanatics has grown largely through acquisitions, particularly during a pandemic shopping spree. In 2020, the company bought WinCraft, a company that makes sports-themed merchandise. In addition to acquiring Topps trading cards for $500 million, it formed partnerships with major sports leagues and their players unions to end 2021.
Regional statistics of the Sports Trading Cards industry
In 2021, the North American market share was the largest, followed by the European market share. Sports trading cards are expected to grow in popularity in North America due to the popularity of sports and entertainment trading cards. Trading cards have been recognized as a hobby for sports fans since the 1940s. North America is projected to gain share in the Sports Trading Card market due to the rise of interest among middle-aged Americans in nostalgia and childhood games like trading cards.
eBay lists Pokemon tops as the most popular category for domestic trading cards, with a 142% increase.
• The major sports trading cards companies are Futera, Panini SPA, Topps., Leaf Trading cards, Upper Deck Company, Bowman Gum Company, Tristar Productions, Ace Authentic, Donruss, and Wonder Bread.
• Trading cards are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. The sports trading cards sales in eBay show a jump of 142%. The company is selling more than four million more sports, collectible cards, and non-sport trading cards, illustrating the categorys popularity and cultural influence.
• Basketball cards have seen a 300% increase in gross sales in the past year. Among passionate collectors, flippers, and investors, eBay is the worlds top destination for trading cards among passionate buyers and sellers. In addition to sports cards, collectible card games like Pokémon also saw sales increase by more than 500% last year.
Report Attribute | Details |
Historical Years | 2018-2021 |
Forecast Years | 2022-2032 |
Base Year (2021) Market Size | $12,927.3 Million |
Market Size Forecast in 2032 | $49,373.2 Million |
Forecast Period CAGR | 13% |
Report Coverage |
Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19;Companies’ Strategic Developments; List of Mega Projects; Major Contracts Won by Key Players; End User Capacity & Workforce Analysis; Company Profiling |
Market Size by Segments | By Age Group, By Type, By Card Type, By End User |
"The industry witnessed a surge in collecting and flipping trading cards last year, thanks in large part to people staying at home and turning to cards in the absence of sports on TV. Trading cards also provide collectors with another means of diversifying their portfolios. During 2021, the company explored several new ways to improve the experience for buyers and sellers, especially within the collectibles market."
Years considered for this report
• Historical Years: 2018-2020
• Base Year: 2021
• Forecast Period: 2022-2032
Sports Trading Cards Market Research Report Analysis Highlights
• Historical data available (as per request)
• Estimation/projections/forecast for revenue and unit sales (2022 – 2032)
• Data breakdown for application Industries (2022 – 2032)
• Integration and collaboration analysis of companies
• Capacity analysis with application sector breakdown
• Business trend and expansion analysis
• Import and export analysis
• Competition analysis/market share
• Supply chain analysis
• Client list and case studies
• Market entry strategies adopted by emerging companies
Industry Segmentation and Revenue Breakdown
Age Group Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2022 - 2032)
• Teenager
• Adult
Type Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2022 - 2032)
• Physical Cards
• NFT Cards
Card Type Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2022 - 2032)
• Character Card
• Image Card
• Autograph Card
• Others
Sales Channel Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2022 - 2032)
• Licensed Collectible Manufacturers
• Specialized Collectibles Marketplace
• E-commerce Portals
• Offline Retails and Auction Houses
Country Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2022 – 2032)
• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• Rest of the Europe
• APAC
• China
• India
• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Australia
• Austria
• South Korea
• Rest of the APAC
• Rest of the World
• Middle East
• Japan
• Africa
• Rest of the World
Sports Trading Cards Market companies:
• Futera
• Leaf Trading cards
• Panini SPA
• Topps.
• Upper Deck Company
• Tristar Productions
• Bowman Gum Company
• Ace Authentic
• Wonder Bread
• Donruss
Available Versions of Sports Trading Cards Market Report: -
United States Sports Trading Cards Market Research Report
Europe Sports Trading Cards Market Research Report
Asia Pacific Sports Trading Cards Market Research Report
India Sports Trading Cards Market Research Report
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