I just read some disturbing news...
Apparently Upper Decks exclusive agreement with the CLC (College Licensing Company) expires in March, and Panini have signed an exclusive agreement to produce College cards from 2016 onwards.
Link:
http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/panini-strikes-deal-3-schools/
What worries me is that I haven't read anything about Panini's NBA agreement expiring, so if Panini has exclusive rights over NBA and College...where does that leave Upper Deck?
More importantly, this gives Panini a very clear Monopoly in the market as it essentially alienates the only legitimate competition Panini has - how can this be allowed? Aren't there legal rules against that type of thing?
I'm pretty concerned about this because as far as I'm concerned Panini has already gotten complacent and lazy since they go the exclusive NBA license - I can only imagine how boring and generic their products will get once they have the entire market to themselves. As they say, competition pushes the boundaries and forces everybody to up their game - better for everyone.
Apparently Upper Decks exclusive agreement with the CLC (College Licensing Company) expires in March, and Panini have signed an exclusive agreement to produce College cards from 2016 onwards.
Link:
http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/panini-strikes-deal-3-schools/
What worries me is that I haven't read anything about Panini's NBA agreement expiring, so if Panini has exclusive rights over NBA and College...where does that leave Upper Deck?
More importantly, this gives Panini a very clear Monopoly in the market as it essentially alienates the only legitimate competition Panini has - how can this be allowed? Aren't there legal rules against that type of thing?
I'm pretty concerned about this because as far as I'm concerned Panini has already gotten complacent and lazy since they go the exclusive NBA license - I can only imagine how boring and generic their products will get once they have the entire market to themselves. As they say, competition pushes the boundaries and forces everybody to up their game - better for everyone.