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| Jul 03, 2009 |
Major League Baseball Players Association and Upper Deck Announce
Continuation of Long Standing Relationship
New York, NY (July 2, 2009) – After twenty years in the baseball card market, The Upper Deck Company has been granted a new trading card license agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association. “We are thrilled to renew our commitment to the baseball card market and look forward to working closely with the Players Association to further grow the category,” said Upper Deck CEO Richard McWilliam.
The Upper Deck Company was founded in 1988 and revolutionized the trading card market with their first baseball card set in 1989. “Upper Deck has an unsurpassed record of delivering the most innovative, premium and authentic baseball trading cards, and we are poised to continue that tradition into the next decade,” McWilliam added.
“Our goal is to provide collectors with great baseball card products, while continuing to grow the market with an infusion of new consumers. We’re confident Upper Deck can help us realize those goals,” said MLBPA category director Evan Kaplan of the renewed partnership.
Since early 2006, Upper Deck has worked closely with the Players Association to co-sponsor several marketing initiatives, including the highly successful Boys Scouts’ Clubhouse program and the current Big League Blast hobby shop sweepstakes promotion. “During the term of our current agreement, Upper Deck consistently demonstrated their dedication to achieving long-term sales growth for the baseball card market. Their kid-focused and online marketing programs, like UpperDeckU, combined with a long line of exceptional products, is a testament to their pursuit of sustained long-term growth for this category,” Kaplan added.
The first release of the new license term will be Upper Deck Series One Baseball, currently scheduled to launch on February 6, 2010. “Needless to say, we are extremely eager and very excited to put our 2010 baseball trading card product and marketing plans into motion,” said Jason Masherah, Director of Sports Brands for The Upper Deck Company. “Baseball fans and card collectors have a lot to look forward to!”
About the MLBPA
The Major League Baseball Players Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and the Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players.
About Upper Deck
Upper Deck is the leading sports and entertainment trading card and collectibles company. For more information on Upper Deck and its products please visit www.upperdeck.com.
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