Online auctions and e-commerce sites have transformed sports collectibles and memorabilia into big business. As far as sports memorabilia is concerned, it is the most popular sports collectible. Many people collect sports memorabilia for the love of their childhood heroes. There are items in this category that evoke memories and emotions which are very powerful.
The global sports memorabilia market is expected to reach $227.2 billion by 2032, up from $26.1 billion in 2021.
In 2022, sports memorabilia along with trading cards industry shall value at $33 Billion. Among sports collectors, trading cards remain the most popular collectible. Over 98% of the collectors collect them. As a result of rapid urbanization and development in developing countries, huge markets for sports trading cards in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East are emerging. China and India are among the hottest emerging markets in the sports card industry, offering lucrative opportunities for the industry to expand. The market is further driven by rapid technological advances and continual innovations to keep up with dynamic consumer preferences. The growth of global sports events, such as the NBA, MLB, and NFL, as well as the availability of internet-enabled devices combined with multiple sports channels, are all playing a positive role in driving the global sports trading card market.
By the end of 2022, the sale of limited-edition video clips of sporting moments or player cards will be the most popular in the sports collectibles industry. The value of each NFT vary & depends on the prominence of the athlete, the significance of the event, additional content included in the token, and demand. The reason behind sports NFTs selling so well is that the fans have always wanted to buy exclusive tokens tied to their teams – like an autographed jersey or baseball bat – and this is just another way to fulfill that dream. Sports trading cards are set to be integrated into video games in the months to come, making them even more popular. The most popular NFT platform for sports is Dapper Labs, which gained attention in 2019 after being named the official NFT marketplace for the National Basketball Association. In 2021, the company signed a deal with the National Football League to manufacture NFTs. Further, the New York-based Candy Digital marketplace handles NFTs for Major League Baseball. It recently received $100 million in investment from SoftBank, Peyton Manning, and others. The sports fans have forked over thousands of dollars on sports collectibles sites such as Rareible, Mintable, Sorare, and OpenSea. Also, Coinbase is opening a marketplace for NFTs in October 2022, although it did not provide an exact unveiling date.
Sports memorabilia has been a steadily growing industry across the world.
Tom Brady’s helmet, Emmitt Smith’s jersey, and Mickey Mantles ball are just a few examples of high-priced sports memorabilia available in the market. Due to a variety of factors including the rising wealth of baby boomers, the arrival of millennials in the market, and the growing interest from foreign buyers, sports memorabilia prices have risen to even much higher in the past decade. Game-used items, such as balls and jerseys, are in high demand. The baseball trading cards held the largest market share in recent years. Lastly, the auction sites such as eBay and Auction of Champions contributed significantly in transforming the sports collectibles and memorabilia into a multibillion-dollar market. Core sports memorabilia market excluding NFT and cards was estimated at $12.2 Billion in 2021 and is growing at a rate of 15.6% from 2022 to 2032. Though NFT is witnessing a much faster growth which is just due to its nascent industry nature and quick adoption, memorabilia industry is the all-time leading category in the sports collectibles sector.
Impact of COVID-19 on the sports collectibles and memorabilia industry
The global pandemic has had a very positive impact on the sports collectibles and memorabilia industry. It flooded the online auctions with sports collectibles. The lockdowns reinvigorated the sports trading card industry and attracted new investors, which sent the prices skyrocketing. Trading cards on eBay grew 1.5 times in 2020, with over 4 million more cards sold than in 2019! Soccer (1,500% increase) and basketball (370%) saw the most significant growth out of all sports cards. The estimations are done based on Gross Merchandise revenue generation by eBay and share of collectibles in the same. One consideration to make is that trading cards form a big chunk of this sales and so memorabilia growth as it may appear is much from trading cards category. The top NBA cards and memorabilia included anything related to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Zion Williamson.
Influence of the blockchain technology on the sports collectible industry
A number of things made last years Copa America finals noteworthy, starting with its rushed relocation to Brazil due to COVID-19 concerns in Argentina and Colombia, to Colombia winning its first big international trophy in almost two decades. Even those who are not huge football fans had something to celebrate, as a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were issued to commemorate the event. This confirms a trend that is clear to all tech-savvy sports fans: digital assets are taking over sports collectibles and memorabilia in a big way.
Digital collectibles for sports are allowing clubs to increase revenues and build larger fan bases with greater engagement at a time when many sporting events are no longer spectator-free, or only available online or via TV. Traditional collectibles, which can be easily faked or replicated, can be tracked on a blockchains lifecycle and ownership history forever, so fans enjoy more complete ownership of their assets. Furthermore, NFT-powered collectibles can never be destroyed or altered once they are created, their condition won’t deteriorate over time, and their authenticity cannot be questioned. The world’s largest sporting clubs and leagues are embracing digital collectibles in sports today, including Italian giant Juventus, FC Barcelona, and Major League Baseball. They’ve all launched digital collectibles of their star players using blockchain technology and are reaping the benefits.
Current analysis of the sports collectibles market
With record-setting prices, historic scarcity, and an NFT craze that is almost an everyday topic in sports news, the memorabilia market has steadily grown since 2019. The pandemic was largely responsible for this. U.S. digital purchases increased by $200 billion in 2020, continuing the trend of people shopping online. This trend will continue in 2022.
Sports apparel is already dominated by fanatics. The company recently secured trading card rights from Major League Baseball, the NFL Players Association, and the NBA, gaining a foothold in the $13 billion trading card market. In the beginning of 2022, it acquired the leading sports trading card brand, Topps. Moreover, with its new NFT business unit, Candy Digital, Fanatics continues to transform sports memorabilia. In June 2021 it launched several collections in partnership with the MLB, including a Lou Gehrig NFT that reportedly sold for $70,000 (to Tyler Winklevoss). Sports betting is another area in which Fanatics is moving. The company applied for a license in New York last year and hired former FanDuel CEO Matt King as CEO. The number of Fanatics business units has grown dramatically in 2021.
Years considered for this report
• Historical Years: 2018-2020
• Base Year: 2021
• Forecast Period: 2022-2032
Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market Research Report Analysis Highlights
• Historical data available (as per request)
• Estimation/projections/forecast for revenue (2022 – 2032)
• Data breakdown for application Industries (2022 – 2032)
• Integration and collaboration analysis of companies
• Capacity analysis with application sector breakdown
• Business trend and expansion analysis
• Import and export analysis
• Competition analysis/market share
• Supply chain analysis
• Client list and case studies
• Market entry strategies adopted by emerging companies
Industry Segmentation and Revenue Breakdown
Sports Memorabilia
By Product Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- Figurines
- Bobble Head
- Sports Figurines
- Wearables (Licensed NFL, NBA, NASCAR, other Leagues)
- Hats And Caps
- Jersey
- Helmets
- Shoes/Sneakers
- T-shirts
- Hoodies & Sweatshirts
- Jackets
- Accessories
- Signed/Autographed Memorabilia
- Jerseys
- Shoes/Sneakers
- Bats
- Ball
- Other Sports Equipment
- Game Used Items
- Jerseys
- Shoes/Sneakers
- Hats & Caps
- Balls
- Bats
- Helmets
- Other Sports Equipment
- Trading Cards
- Physical Trading Cards
- NFT Trading Cards (NFT + Digital Twins)
- Others
- Flags And Banners
- Prints And Posters (Collage, Premium Photos, etc.)
- Match Tickets
- Plaque Framed Photos
By Sports (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- Cricket
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Football
- Tennis
- Hockey
- Boxing
- Auto Racing
- Cycling
- American Football
- Others
By Leagues (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- NFL
- NHL
- MLB
- NBA
- UFC
- FIFA
- IPL
- Olympics
- College/Universities
- NASCAR
- Other Leagues
By Sales Channel (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- Licensed Sellers
- Specialized Collectibles Web Portals
- Online Shopping Websites
- Auction Houses
- Offline Retails
By Geography (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
Sports Trading Cards
By Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- Character Card
- Image Card
- Autograph Card
- Others
By Leagues (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- NFL Cards
- NHL Cards
- MLB Cards
- NBA Cards
- UFC Trading Cards
- College Trading Cards
- NASCAR Trading Cards
- Other Cards
NFT Sports Collectibles
By Type (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- Image NFTs
- Video NFTs
- Other NFTs
By NFT Sports Collectibles (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- By Sports
- Cricket
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Soccer/Football
- Hockey
- Tennis
- Cycling
- Boxing
- Auto Racing
- Others
By Sales Channel (Revenue, USD Million, 2023 – 2033)
- Licensed Sellers
- Specialized Collectibles Web Portals
- Online Shopping Websites
- Auction Houses
- Offline Retails
Country Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2022 – 2032)
• The United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• The United Kingdom
• Russia
• China
• India
• The Philippines
• Malaysia
• Australia
• Austria
• South Korea
• The Middle East
• Japan
• Africa
• Rest of the World
Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market companies:
• The Topps Company, Inc. (Topps)
• Futera Limited
• The Upper Deck Company
• Leaf Trading Cards
• Panini S.P.A.
• Fanatics, Inc.
• Press Pass Collectibles (Ppc)
• Tristar Productions, Inc.
• Gameday Sports &Amp; Memorabilia
• Bench Warmer
• 757 Sports Collectibles
• Sportscollectibles.Com
• Rittenhouse Archives Ltd.
• Olx Global Bv
Available Versions of Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market Report: –
United States Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market Research Report
Europe Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market Research Report
Asia Pacific Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market Research Report
India Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market Research Report
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Source: Sports Collectibles and Memorabilia Market (marketdecipher.com)
