Baseball card production peaked in the late 1980s ©Getty Images

Sports memorabilia company Fanatics has secured a deal with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) for the exclusive licenses to produce baseball cards.

According to a memo from the MLBPA, a Fanatics-founded company that has yet to be named will be the exclusive licensee "in the baseball card category" from 2022.

Fanatics' deal with MLB and the MLBPA is more than 10 times larger than any the union has ever agreed to, it is claimed.

The deal, when combined with other recent deals, is allegedly expected to generate roughly $2 billion (£1.4 billion/€1.6 billion) by 2045.

It will also include the National Basketball Players Association and the National Football League Players Association, who along with the MLBPA will have equity in this new venture, as will MLB and the NBA.

Michael Rubin has been chief executive of Fanatics since 2011 after he bought the company for $277 million (£200 million/€233 million) ©Getty Images
Michael Rubin has been chief executive of Fanatics since 2011 after he bought the company for $277 million (£200 million/€233 million) ©Getty Images

The MLB's contract with Topps is set to expire in 2025 after becoming the exclusive licensee of MLB cards in 2009.

Fanatics' deal is a massive blow to the New York City-based company as baseball was its flagship sport.

Without it, Topps is left with licenses for Major League Soccer, Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, and National Hockey League.

Per the MLBPA's annual report, Topps paid the MLBPA $20.4 million (£14.7 million/€17.1 million) in 2020 licensing fees, the largest sum from any MLBPA licensee and up roughly $1.67 million (£1.2 million/€1.4 million) from 2019.