Upper Deck

What Upper Deck does

Upper Deck is a privately held sports and entertainment collectibles company founded in 1988, headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and incorporated in Nevada. The company manufactures and distributes physical trading cards spanning hockey, basketball, golf, football, soccer, and wrestling, plus entertainment IP cards built on licenses with Warner Bros. Discovery properties (DC Comics, Space Jam, Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, Blizzard), Marvel, and NBCUniversal (The Last Kingdom). Upper Deck's memorabilia division, Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA), uses a 5-step authentication process backed by a Hologram Database and a scannable QR-code verification system designed to combat patch-swapping and counterfeiting. The company also publishes tabletop and collectible card games including Legendary: A Marvel Deckbuilding Game (Second Edition, 2026), Legendary DC, Neopets Battledome: Defenders of Neopia, Rush of Ikorr, Enemies of Gotham City, Vs. System 2PCG, and James Bond.

Upper Deck operates a digital-physical hybrid ecosystem comprising the e-Pack platform (online pack opening, trading, and instant conversion to physical cards), Evolution (authentic digital collectibles), Collect Forever (comics and figures e-commerce), and a tightly integrated grading partnership with Dynamics Inc.'s The Authority service, which adds the proprietary Grading Chip and rigid large-format memorabilia slabs. Authentication features like the Authority Grading Chip, QR-coded Rookie Patch Auto galleries, 5D signed memorabilia technology, and 8x10-to-24x36-inch display-grade slabs function as the technical backbone for product trust and secondary-market value preservation. The company also runs a Bounty loyalty/challenge program and an online Redemptions platform for unredeemed insert cards.

Upper Deck generates revenue through a mix of physical card sales at $5-$20 entry packs to $200+ premium hobby boxes, authenticated memorabilia (jerseys, photos, equipment, artwork), exclusive athlete licensing deals, tabletop game sales, and digital collectible transactions. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce (Upper Deck Store, e-Pack, Evolution, Collect Forever), a Certified Diamond Dealer network of thousands of hobby stores, Authorized Internet Retailers, mass retail distribution, and direct enterprise sales for memorabilia partnerships. Marketing is anchored by event sponsorships — notably a five-year title sponsorship of the NHL Draft — and exclusive high-profile athlete relationships with figures such as Gavin McKenna, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, Bubba Wallace, Nelly Korda, Alex Morgan, and Trinity Rodman.

Name

Upper Deck

Legal name

The Upper Deck Company

Website

https://upperdeck.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Upper Deck, founded 1988 and headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, is a privately held manufacturer of sports and entertainment trading cards, authenticated memorabilia, and tabletop games serving collectors, dealers, and major league licensors including the NHL, NBA, U.S. Soccer, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Trading Cards and Collectibles

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Trading Cards Retail (CRALAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collectible Card Games (CCG/TCG) Retail (CRALAGAC), Sports Collectibles (Non-Card) Retail (e.g., coins, pins, figurines) (CRAMAOAD), Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms (CRAMAOAI)

Keywords

• Sports trading cards
• Authenticated memorabilia
• Collectible card games
• Digital collectibles platform
• Trading card grading

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sports Trading Cards: Core revenue stream from physical and digital trading cards across multiple sports including hockey, basketball, golf, football, and soccer. Products range from budget-friendly packs ($5-$20) to premium hobby boxes ($200+).
2. Entertainment Trading Cards: Trading cards featuring entertainment properties including DC Comics, Marvel, Looney Tunes, Space Jam, Game of Thrones, and The Last Kingdom.
3. Collectible Games: Deck-building and trading card games including Legendary (Marvel), Neopets Battledome, Rush of Ikorr, Vs. System 2PCG, James Bond, and Enemies of Gotham City miniatures.
4. Memorabilia & Authenticated Collectibles: Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) memorabilia featuring autographed items with hologram authentication, including jerseys, photos, equipment, and artwork from athletes.
5. Exclusive Athlete Licensing Deals: Revenue from exclusive autograph trading card deals with athletes such as Gavin McKenna, creating sole-producer arrangements for NHL autographed cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Upper Deck manufactures and distributes physical sports and entertainment trading cards, authenticated autographed memorabilia, and tabletop card and miniatures games. It complements these physical products with the e-Pack digital platform for online pack opening and trading, Evolution for digital collectibles, Collect Forever for comics and figures, and The Authority grading service (via partner Dynamics Inc.) for third-party card authentication and slabbing.

Product overview

Upper Deck is a sports and entertainment trading card and collectibles company operating a multi-platform portfolio. Its core physical products include hockey trading cards (featuring annual lines such as Upper Deck Series 1, Series 2, Extended Series, The Cup, SPx, Credentials, O-Pee-Chee Platinum, and the revived Skybox Metal Universe brand) and entertainment trading cards spanning DC Comics, Space Jam, and The Last Kingdom. The company runs three digital platforms: Upper Deck e-Pack for digital card opening, trading, and collecting; Evolution for authentic digital collectibles; and Collect Forever for comics and figures. Its memorabilia division, Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA), uses a 5-step authentication process and hologram-based verification, with an online Hologram Database for consumer verification. Upper Deck also publishes tabletop games including Legendary: A Marvel Deckbuilding Game (now in Second Edition), Legendary DC, Neopets Battledome: Defenders of Neopia, Rush of Ikorr, Enemies of Gotham City, Vs. System 2PCG, and James Bond. The e-Pack platform integrates with The Authority (operated by Dynamics Inc.) for instant card grading transfer. Additional services include a redemptions system, Bounty loyalty program, and a Certified Diamond Dealer retail network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA): Premium memorabilia authentication and certification service featuring holograms and certificates of authenticity.
• e-Pack
• Evolution
• Collect Forever
• The Authority

Products and services

• Upper Deck e-Pack Digital collectibles platform for buying, opening, trading, and managing Upper Deck trading cards online, with options to convert digital cards to physical shipments and integrate with The Authority for instant grading.
• Upper Deck Store Company-operated e-commerce site for purchasing exclusive trading cards, memorabilia, and collectibles directly from Upper Deck.
• Evolution (Collect Evo) Next-generation digital collectibles platform for collecting authentic digital collectibles.
• Collect Forever One-stop e-commerce shop for comics and figures built to last a lifetime.
• Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) Memorabilia Premium authenticated memorabilia division featuring a proprietary 5-step authentication process and hologram-based verification for sports and entertainment memorabilia, including autographed jerseys, photos, equipment, and artwork.
• The Authority Grading Service Card grading and authentication service (operated by partner Dynamics Inc.) integrated with Upper Deck e-Pack, allowing instant grading transfer of cards purchased on the platform. Features the proprietary Grading Chip, Reveal Grade technology, and rigid large-format memorabilia slabs.
• NHL Sports Trading Cards Flagship sports trading card product line covering NHL athletes, including annual sets such as Series 1, Series 2, Extended Series, The Cup, SPx, Credentials, O-Pee-Chee Platinum, and Skybox Metal Universe, with autographs, rookie cards, and memorabilia inserts.
• Golf Trading Cards (Fleer Ultra Golf and TGL) Golf trading card products including the Fleer Ultra Golf set with autographs from professional golfers, plus exclusive TGL trading cards and match-used collectibles from the TGL team golf league's inaugural season.
• NBA Basketball Trading Cards Basketball trading card products covering NBA athletes with autographs, rookie cards, and memorabilia inserts.
• Football Trading Cards Football trading card products covering athletes from major football leagues with autographs, rookie cards, and memorabilia inserts.
• Wrestling Trading Cards Wrestling trading card products covering professional wrestlers with autographs, rookie cards, and memorabilia inserts.
• U.S. Soccer Memorabilia Official memorabilia product line for USMNT and USWNT produced under a new license with U.S. Soccer and the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association, including dual-signed collections featuring Alex Morgan and Trinity Rodman and real-time World Cup drops.
• DC Comics Trading Cards Entertainment trading card product line featuring DC Comics characters, including the DC Annual set with Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, and the DC x NHL 'Secret Identity' crossover sets, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products.
• Space Jam Trading Cards and Memorabilia Entertainment trading card and memorabilia line celebrating the Space Jam film franchise, including the 30th anniversary collection with Michael Jordan and Warner Bros. Discovery collaboration.
• The Last Kingdom Collectibles and Games Collectibles and games based on the hit series The Last Kingdom, in collaboration with NBCUniversal, including a trading card set and tabletop game as headline initial releases.
• Legendary: A Marvel Deckbuilding Game Marvel-themed cooperative deckbuilding game published by Upper Deck, with a Second Edition released in 2026.
• Legendary DC Deckbuilding Game DC Comics-themed deckbuilding game published by Upper Deck under the Legendary brand.
• Neopets Battledome: Defenders of Neopia Trading card game based on the Neopets franchise, with Heroes and Villains card types, integrated with e-Pack so cards can be instantly transferred to The Authority for real-time grading.
• Rush of Ikorr Original-IP trading card game created by Upper Deck, with starter deck avatars and narrative drops featuring original artwork.
• Enemies of Gotham City DC Comics-themed tabletop miniatures game featuring 3D sculpted villain miniatures.
• Vs. System 2PCG Two-player card game published by Upper Deck.
• James Bond Trading Card Game James Bond-themed trading card game published by Upper Deck.
• Upper Deck Redemptions Online redemption system allowing collectors to redeem redemption cards, check status, and manage replacement requests; redemptions are available for two years from release date with a one-year grace period.
• Upper Deck Bounty Gamified challenge and loyalty platform where collectors complete challenges to earn achievement cards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Industry-leading fraud prevention through serial number tracking and QR code verification on premium cards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and key.

• Gavin McKennacoreOthers · 26 June 2026Exclusive autograph trading card deal making Upper Deck the sole producer of McKenna's NHL autographed trading cards - the 2026 NHL First Overall Pick. Cards will be released during 2026-27 NHL season through Certified Diamond Dealers and Upper Deck's e-Pack platform.
• Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Multi-product category celebration and multi-licensor activation for Space Jam 30th anniversary. Upper Deck partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products and 23XI Racing to release premium signed Michael Jordan memorabilia featuring '5D technology', Space Jam paint scheme for Bubba Wallace's NASCAR car, and revival of Skybox Metal Universe trading card brand.
• 23XI RacingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Partnership with Bubba Wallace's racing team featuring custom Space Jam paint scheme on the No. 23 Toyota for NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Includes exclusive digital trading cards, signed die-cast models, officially licensed artwork, and autographed memorabilia. Upper Deck hosted Space Jam 30th Anniversary Watch Party at Navy Pier.
• U.S. SoccercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Multi-year licensing agreement with U.S. Soccer and U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association, making Upper Deck the official memorabilia provider for both USMNT and USWNT. Deal includes dual-signed collections with women's stars Alex Morgan and Trinity Rodman, premium memorabilia, and real-time World Cup drops.
• Arizona DiamondbacksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Partnership to transform Chase Field into Upper Deck Golf event where fans can tee off from the upper deck onto custom greens. Event raises money for Stand Up To Cancer while the team is on the road.
• Dynamics Inc. (The Authority)coreTechnology or Integration · 4 March 2026Integration partnership enabling TCG cards from Neopets Battledome: Defenders of Neopia to be instantly transferable into The Authority for real-time grading on Upper Deck e-Pack. Platform allows users to buy, sell, authenticate, and grade collectibles quickly.
• Tim HortonsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 February 2026Tim Hortons launched Team Canada Trading Cards set - first hockey card collection featuring imagery from both men's and women's Canadian Olympic Teams. Available at Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada.
• USA HockeycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025Exclusive, long-term trading card deal with USA Hockey including creation of new trading cards and jersey sponsorships for USA Hockey teams. Features new product lines, debut trading card sets, and memorabilia collections emphasizing promotion of USA Hockey players internationally.
• TGLkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Exclusive licensing agreement with TGL, a team golf league, to produce trading cards for the league's inaugural season. Includes digital and physical card releases featuring prominent players, timed with the league's second season return.
• Hockey CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025Long-term licensing agreement extension since 2012, continuing to develop hockey collectibles and memorabilia featuring Canadian hockey stars and moments from international competitions, especially around the 2026 World Junior Championship.
• DC ComicscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 14 March 2025Launch of first DC Comics-based trading card set called DC Annual in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products. Features Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, autograph cards from notable creators, and special insert cards. Fourth DC x NHL 'Secret Identity' crossover released April 2026.
• Harry Potter Rights HolderskeyOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 7 January 2025Acquisition of Harry Potter entertainment license to produce collectible trading cards. Initial sets celebrating 25th anniversary of The Sorcerer's Stone featuring gold one-of-one cards and original art of key characters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Topps (Fanatics Collectibles): Topps is the historical direct competitor to Upper Deck in sports and entertainment trading cards (flagship Topps Baseball, Topps Chrome, Bowman, Garbage Pail Kids, Star Wars). Now owned by Fanatics, it holds exclusive U.S. rights to MLB, NFL, NBA, and FIFA cards, making it Upper Deck's largest direct rival in the trading card category.
• Panini: Panini is a global leader in sports trading cards holding exclusive FIFA World Cup, NBA Panini, NFL Panini, and Premier League licenses, with a strong presence in soccer, basketball, and football. It competes head-to-head with Upper Deck in multi-sport card categories and in the international hobby store channel.
• Leaf Trading Cards: Leaf is a privately held sports and entertainment trading card manufacturer producing football, wrestling, and multi-sport sets with a focus on autographs and low-numbered parallels. It is comparable to Upper Deck as a competing card manufacturer targeting the hobby dealer channel.
• Donruss (Panini): Donruss, now a Panini brand, produces football, baseball, and multi-sport trading cards with a heritage brand similar to Upper Deck's flagship lines. It targets the same hobby collector base and competes on premium and value-tier product positioning.
• TRISTAR Productions: TRISTAR is a sports memorabilia and autograph authentication company producing signed collectibles, redemption-based products, and athlete shows. It competes with UDA in the autographed memorabilia category that Upper Deck sells through its memorabilia channels.

Broad incumbents

• Fanatics Collectibles: Fanatics Collectibles is the parent entity of Topps and a vertically integrated sports commerce platform. It competes broadly with Upper Deck through Topps-branded cards, exclusive league rights, and a deep distribution network spanning retail, e-commerce, and live events.
• Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering / Dungeons & Dragons): Wizards of the Coast produces Magic: The Gathering, the largest TCG by hobby channel presence and a direct competitor to Upper Deck's Legendary, Neopets Battledome, and Vs. System tabletop games. It competes for the same hobby store and tournament ecosystems.
• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator): PSA is the leading third-party sports card and memorabilia grading service and a complementary/competing infrastructure provider to The Authority. PSA's Card Verification Service and pricing data are core to the secondary card market that Upper Deck's products trade in.

Emerging players

• The Pokémon Company (Pokémon TCG): Pokémon TCG is the dominant collectible card game globally and the largest TCG brand by revenue. While not a sports card competitor, it competes for the same hobby dealer shelf space, collector wallet share, and grading service throughput that Upper Deck relies on.
• Beckett Grading Services: Beckett is a long-standing grading and authentication services provider in the sports card and memorabilia market, with a comparable authentication and price-guide offering to Upper Deck's UDA Hologram Database and The Authority Grading Chip.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upper-deck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upper Deck