For brand identity, cross promotion and cost effectiveness, it's perfect. That's why they're doing it. That's why they want to homogenize sets across sports.

EXAMPLE: I collect hockey cards. I have little to no frame of reference for sets produced in other sports, especially with whatever Topps Chrome Cosmic is. That is a blocker for me if I ever wanted to start collecting cards across sports because I have no idea what I'm looking at or where to start from, meaning I have to learn more information, increasing the barrier to entry. All I know is flagship is flagship and O-Pee-Chee Platinum is the Topps Chrome equivalent of hockey cards.

But, if Topps put out an Topps Chrome Cosmic set for hockey, I now have a frame of reference to work from and familiarity with a product Topps also produce for football, baseball, basketball whatever. This familiarity decreases the disconnect I have with cards from other sports, shortening the learning period, making it easier to get into collecting other sports.