Panini

Check out the new Kevin Durant “Thunderstruck” Signature cards that Panini America will be inserting into limited packs of Elite Black Box cards this season. Find out more about the cards on Panini America’s blog.

Category : Blog

ARLINGTON, Texas (February 17, 2011) — Panini America (www.paniniamerica.net), the NBA’s exclusive trading card and sticker partner, has signed Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant as an official company spokesman and trading card ambassador.

Durant’s exclusive multi-year agreement with the company includes autographs and memorabilia, and adds to Panini America’s star-studded roster of NBA talent that also includes five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year candidate John Wall of the Washington Wizards.

Durant will make his debut as an exclusive Panini athlete appearing on packaging and in Panini’s Absolute Memorabilia product slated to release in early March at retailers and hobby shops nationwide.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the Panini family and join great players like Kobe Bryant and John Wall for this partnership. The idea of being on a trading card with Kobe is an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to see it happen,” said Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder.

Panini America is the only company in the world that manufactures fully licensed trading cards for the NFL, the NHL and the NBA, and the company continues to increase its stature with meaningful marketing activation at the most prestigious sporting events in the United States.

“We are excited to add Kevin Durant as an exclusive Panini athlete, Kevin is one of those dynamic players that is fun to watch and is a player that excites collectors. We are pleased that Kevin has now joined the Panini family, he will be a pillar of Panini’s NBA business for years to come,”said Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America.

Panini America became the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA beginning with the 2009-10 season. The Panini Group purchased the industry’s second-oldest trading-card company, Donruss in March 2009 and formed the new subsidiary, Panini America, Inc. Since that time, Panini has taken significant steps to fortify its position on the sports card category as a whole and the basketball landscape in particular, including an exclusive marketing and advertising partnership with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

ABOUT PANINI:
The Panini Group, established almost 50 years ago in Modena, Italy, has subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is fast becoming the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for NBA, NFL, NHL, FIFA, Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., and other key properties from many other licensors. Panini has distribution channels in more than 100 countries and employs a staff of more than 800. For more information visit us at www.paniniamerica.net or www.paninigroup.com. You can also follow Panini America on its official blog The Knight’s Lance http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/, on social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, and on YouTube.

ABOUT THE NBA:
The NBA reaches fans and consumers worldwide through the licensing and marketing of consumer products bearing the league’s trademarks and player attributes. 170 licensees manufacture, sell and market NBA-branded products that are promoted worldwide and sold in more than 100,000 retail locations, in 100 countries on six continents. Major categories include video games, apparel, footwear, sporting goods and trading cards. Thirty percent of merchandise sales are generated from outside the United States. In addition to offering the most comprehensive assortment of NBA, WNBA and NBA D-League merchandise, the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City features multimedia attractions, a fully operational broadcast booth and an official half-court used for special events and regularly scheduled appearances by players, legends and celebrities. More than one million fans visit the NBA Store each year. NBAStore.com is the online destination for NBA fans around the world looking for exclusive team merchandise, memorabilia and unique gifts of every NBA, WNBA and NBA D-League team. NBAStore.com is visited by over 10 million people each year.

For More Information Contact:
Tracy Hackler, Panini America
817-983-0325
thackler@paniniamerica.net

Category : Blog