NHL, NHLPA, and UD long term extension

It is a strange day when I find myself glad to see that UD's exclusive with the NHL/NHLPA is continuing.
 
Just a matter of time before Fanatics buys UD. Not just for NHL cards but mainly for the player exclusives they already have.
 
It's good news for the hobby that UD will be able to continue their partnership with the NHL/NHLPA and for it not to get swallowed up by the beast that is Fanatics.

They probably had to pay through the nose on this one, but the term of the deal I'd suspect to be longer? Maybe not a Fanatics deal in length, but to give some needed stability moving forward, which is good.
 
Both a huge sigh of relief but also, what kind of price hikes are forthcoming?

I don't get the sense that UD has been awash in surplus cash so assume that some form of major price increase to distributors and then ultimately to all of us is in the offing?
 
TMLFan3 said:
Just a matter of time before Fanatics buys UD. Not just for NHL cards but mainly for the player exclusives they already have.
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This is a good place to point out again that the exclusive deals UD holds with such notables as LeBron, MJ, Tiger and Gretzky go *POOF* if UD is purchased.
 
quincy said:
This is a good place to point out again that the exclusive deals UD holds with such notables as LeBron, MJ, Tiger and Gretzky go *POOF* if UD is purchased.
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Quincy, just curious is that a published fact that the deals go away if UD is purchased?

Pacman
 
Have just done some internet sleuthing and can't seem to find anything about a "change of control" provision in the license agmt - do you have anything to share on that quincy? Would love any details of other terms too...
 
I wish I could provide a more concrete reference. It's been raised in the previous discussion of the Fanatics agreement. AFAIK, it is language specific to UD's deals with these people - it's not standard agreement language.
 
Smart move by the league for the short/medium term. If they went with Fanatics, they would have been the red-headed stepchild with the focus of Fanatics being on the other three sports which are considerably larger revenue streams. This way, they can see how the dust settles and decide down the road...

All that said, UD is still a prime target for Fanatics even if the player contracts aren't transferable. The UD and Fleer brands are still relevant in other sports and would help Fanatics in lieu of a topps or panini deal.

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I did not expect this. I honestly don't feel good, or bad, about it. Change is sometimes hard so seeing the old guard still intact is fine and dandy. That being said who knows what the whole Fanatics dimension would have brought to hockey cards. I guess we can watch form the comfort of our corner of hobby normalcy while the other sports change, and likely change dramatically.

Then again hearing in a month that UD has been bought by Fanatics would not surprise me one single bit either.
 
If the NHL went with UD, I can’t see them letting UD get swallowed up by Fanatics. NHL could have easily gone with Fanatics directly if that’s what they wanted.

I’m surprised, but wish UD all the best, for the good of the hobby.

Cory
 
will-411 said:
If the NHL went with UD, I can’t see them letting UD get swallowed up by Fanatics. NHL could have easily gone with Fanatics directly if that’s what they wanted.

Cory
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Just curious, but what bearing would the NHL have on whether UD is bought by Fanatics? They don't have any control over that do they?
 
ChuckNorrisFearsSid said:
Just curious, but what bearing would the NHL have on whether UD is bought by Fanatics? They don't have any control over that do they?
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If the NHL and the NHLPA were given equity stakes in the company similarly to how Fanatics has dealt with the MLB, NFL and NBA licenses, they would have a say in any potential purchase as licensors and part owner.
 
ChuckNorrisFearsSid said:
Just curious, but what bearing would the NHL have on whether UD is bought by Fanatics? They don't have any control over that do they?
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Perhaps how I should have worded it is that the NHL/PA had a choice and chose to go with UD. They may have made that decision because Fanatics wasn't interested, but if they were, the NHL/PA chose UD for some reason. I can't imagine they'd want to end up with their second choice in the end.

So no, they don't have control over it, though maybe they threw in a clause that their license isn't transferable in the event of a sale... who knows.

Cory
 
Anyone want to take a guess at how long this new extension goes for?

If it's a shorter deal (5 years-ish), Fanatics is still a threat once they start producing the other major sports in 2026 or so.
 
I am happy for a couple of reasons. I am happy that my good friend Billy will have job security. Same goes for Chris and a few select others at Upper Deck. A lot of people like to rag on them but at the end of the day I never want to see good people get hurt. I feel better knowing they are safe and sound..
 
I like this move as it provides a bit of stability in the hockey hobby. I'm not 100% sold on fanatics and like many others I am curious to see how their exclusivity in the other sports plays out.
 
Hama said:
If the NHL and the NHLPA were given equity stakes in the company similarly to how Fanatics has dealt with the MLB, NFL and NBA licenses, they would have a say in any potential purchase as licensors and part owner.
Click to expand...

The NHL and PA having equity stakes in UD will hopefully translate into better products and distribution. I'm not holding my breath, though.

The other leagues having equity stakes in Fanatics has Fanatics somehow offering 3x the return on licensing fees and revenue. Will that be accomplished by jacking up prices, jacking up production, cutting out "middle men" (distributors and card shops and offering direct to market) or a combination of all three?

I'm thinking it's as Mike says and that the NHL and PA are playing "wait and see" and watching how the other leagues play out and then making their move.
 
As others have said, I never thought I’d see the day when I was happy about the Upper Deck Exclusive being extended, but I am, so Fanatics stays out of hockey for now. I’d prefer Topps or Leaf be involved in a non exclusive with Upper Deck, but that’s not how things have been going. UD still has far and away the best customer service of any of the companies and they have focused on hockey for a long time. This extension allows the NHL to have a continued focus on hockey from a company with (generally) quality products and an already set understanding on the market, which differs greatly from the other big 3.
 

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