It’s compLex: Trading card brand Panini enters esports with Jerry Jones-backed team

Panini has become the first major collectibles and trading card brand to enter esports, striking a one-year deal with the Jerry Jones-backed team compLexity Gaming.

The deal includes traditional trading cards and posters for the compLexity franchise, but the more noteworthy part calls for a new Panini Twitch channel managed by compLexity. On the channel, traditional sports athletes with Panini relationships will play games together and create other content with compLexity athletes and streamers. They’ll also co-create Panini giveaways and promotional content to support Panini’s NFL and NBA products. The content also will appear on YouTube and social media.

“We’ve been working here internally to figure out how we fit into the esports realm, and we’ve always felt we need to do more than just produce trading cards with teams,” said Jason Howarth, Panini vice president of marketing. “There has to be some engagement component, and there has to be some compelling reason for us to step in, and this 360-degree approach to the relationship is what makes it compelling.”

CompLexity now has a formal mechanism to cross-promote its players with gamer enthusiasts from the traditional sports leagues. That could prove crucial for the team, which is one of the oldest brands in American

esports but lacks a spot in either of the two high-profile franchised games, “Overwatch” and “League of Legends.”

“We’ve seen on Twitch what that cross-blend has done, and for us to be involved with that is extremely exciting on our side,” said Daniel Herz, compLexity chief revenue officer.

CompLexity has eight competitive teams in titles such as “Fortnite,” “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” “Madden” and “Rocket League,” along with streamers.

The physical collateral will be signed by players and streamers at fan meet-and-greets and sold at team headquarters at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Panini already has a deal with the Cowboys.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but Herz said the marketing potential outweighs the short-term cash value. At a time when many esports investors are concerned about the slow pace of commercial revenue growth at the team level, the deal is notable because Panini is paying for compLexity’s expertise as much as a license. “For us, it’s helping them enter the space in an organic way,” Herz said.

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