By Glenn S. Demby, Esq.
2015 was another strong year for sports licensing in the U.S./Canada. But while all leagues grew, few did better than Major League Baseball. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. New Stars
As with other sports, baseball relies on stars to drive growth. The past few years has seen a changing of the guard as the Derek Jeters, Mariano Riveras and Big Papis (David Ortiz) give way to a new generation. What started in 2012, with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, exploded with this year’s amazing rookie class, headlined by the Cubs’ Kris Bryant who led all of MLB in jersey sales.
2. New Teams
Second only to star power as a sales driver is team power. And 2015 will be remembered for the re-emergence of popular teams in big markets including the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros. In addition, last year’s Cinderella, the Kansas City Royals, remained a licensing force, especially after completing their mission and taking the World Series.
3. New Commissioner
One of the first actions of new Commissioner Rob Manfred was to reorganize MLB’s inefficient licensing structure by, among other things, consolidating traditional and digital licensing into a single office.
4. New Markets
MLB expanded its women’s market by partnering with highly recognizable female brands for higher end fashion products including Victoria’s Secret Pink (apparel), Alex and Ani (jewelry) and Dooney and Bourke (handbags).
5. New Models
Following up on its successes with Peanuts and Hello Kitty, MLB scored another big win in 2015 with its Star Wars cross-licensing arrangement.