WWE Announces New Digital Partnership With Merchant With Past Issues

WWE today announced a digital partnership with Panini America that will see WWE Superstars join the Panini Blockchain with the release of Blockchain Donruss Elite WWE. That means past and present WWE stars such as John Cena, Roman Reigns, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Rhea Ripley, Lyra Valkyria, Finn Bálor, and Damian Priest will be introduced as Panini digital cards for the first time. The TKO-owned promotion joins a variety of other sporting brands on the Panini platform, including the NFL and NBA.

As per the press release, the initial Donruss Elite WWE brand will include over 100 WWE Superstars "with exciting inserts, including Star Status, Spellbound, and Title Waves." Further Blockchain WWE releases are planned featuring other "exciting brands," including Prizm, Panini's flagship brand. Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations, commented, "For the last 3 years we've been focused on delivering a top-tier Blockchain product to our collectors, and adding a brand like WWE to the roster, with such a rabid audience, and deep history is in line with what our community has come to expect."

The new digital partnership reestablishes WWE's working relationship with Panini, which had been previously strained. In September 2023, it was reported WWE terminated its business relationship with Panini over an alleged contract breach. WWE initially established a multi-year deal with Panini in October 2021. Two months later, following a legal dispute, both companies reached an agreement to settle their respective lawsuits. It's unclear how WWE's new deal with Panini will affect their long-term digital agreement with Fanatics, which includes e-commerce, licensed merchandise, physical and digital trading cards, and NFTs.