After more than 20 years of sponsorship with rival Upper Deck, LeBron James is switching to Fanatics Collectibles for his trading card business.

Enthusiasts will begin the transaction by offering a special Bowman brand card with two autographs from the National Basketball Association icon and his son Bronny. Retail sales of it will commence on January 19.

Signed James trading cards will be added to the inventory as part of the multiyear contract. For the previous couple of years, James has not signed official cards. It also upsets the established order in the trading card and sports memorabilia industries, which have recently seen a resurgence.

“We are thrilled about how our partnership with one of the world’s greatest athletes will continue to ignite fan and collector passion,” stated Mike Mahan, CEO of Fanatics Collectibles. “Our goal is to push the envelope of where the hobby can go.”

The agreement’s terms were kept a secret. According to experts, the arrangement might be worth over $5 million annually.

James provided the voiceover for a brief film called “Origin of Greatness,” which was part of the launch and focused on the early years and ascent to the top of various Fanatics athlete partners’ respective sports.

James, 39, said in a statement, “As someone who appreciates all the moments — big and small — along the journey, I’m excited to share more with my fans through this partnership with Fanatics.”

Topps was acquired by Fanatics Collectibles for $500 million in 2022 as part of Michael Rubin’s $31 billion sports platform company Fanatics.

Beginning in 2026, Fanatics will take over from Panini as the official trading card manufacturer for the NBA and its players association. James, a four-time NBA champion, will now be exclusively available to fans in the form of printing cards. League partners have previously been able to print cards in contravention of exclusivity agreements.

In the ongoing legal dispute between the trading card rivals, Panini is accusing Fanatics of breaking antitrust laws.

The long-term, exclusive rights to create, produce, and distribute trading cards representing other sports assets, such as Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and the National Football League Players Association, have also been obtained by Fanatics Collectibles.

The Los Angeles Lakers star’s contract is a major victory for fans since, in the opinion of Ken Goldin, the CEO and founder of Goldin Auctions and the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles” series, James is the most valuable athlete among all active NBA players.

At the start of James’ career, Goldin claimed to have sold a high-grade James card for as much as $5 million.

He claimed that although prices have decreased, his cards are still quite valuable today. He expressed optimism about the deal’s implications for collectors as well.

“It’s likely that they [Fanatics] will use LeBron not only for autograph signings but also to help market trading cards overall,” Goldin stated.

In trading card and memorabilia history, James’s first deal with Upper Deck was thought to be the largest when he signed it in 2003. According to reports, James received a $1 million signing bonus in addition to his $1 million annual salary.

The firm released a statement saying, “Over the last 20 years, Upper Deck has had the privilege of working closely with LeBron James, building the LeBron James brand into one of the most valuable collectible brands in the world.”

James has previously switched from one of his main sponsors to a rival. After nearly eighteen years, the 19-time NBA All-Star departed Coca-Cola to join an endorsement contract with competitor Pepsi in 2021.