The Licensing Letter

Entertainment/Character

Amidst Rocky 2017 Performance, Toycos Boosted by Licensing

The NPD Group’s latest report shows the toy industry grew by 1% in 12 global markets in 2017, with global sales reaching $20.7 billion. The top growth-drivers, according to the research group, were fidget toys, slime, dolls, and collectibles. According to NPD, 2017′s top three-selling toy properties globally were Star Wars, Nerf, and Barbie. In the U.S. alone, Nerf captured the … [Read more...] about Amidst Rocky 2017 Performance, Toycos Boosted by Licensing

Superpowered Franchises Dominate Film Calendar

Every time we update the Planned Feature Films with Licensing Potential chart, it becomes more obvious—studios are increasingly investing into franchises. And superheroes are some of the best sources to mine—with a diverse and deep reserve of characters and storylines. Make sure you check the list out, as a good chunk of films have been pushed back (even for those with a … [Read more...] about Superpowered Franchises Dominate Film Calendar

As Generations Shift, Preschool Market Follows

Broadly speaking, the demographics of the world are changing—on a global level, parents are having fewer children while their financial prospects are improving. For some countries, that translates into increased spending on largely non-essential items, like licensed toys and premium-priced bottles. For other territories, that means decreased spending on essentials like diapers … [Read more...] about As Generations Shift, Preschool Market Follows

Streaming & Experiential Power Up

DreamWorksTV, a division of Awesomeness that creates family-friendly digital content distributed via YouTube, partners with Amazon to launch its first subscription offering. The individual OTT network will offer exclusive programming including Schneck & Eck Crack The Case, Action Figures In Action, Secret Agent Challenge, and Neighborhood Super Watch. Global streaming … [Read more...] about Streaming & Experiential Power Up

Company Spotlight: On Scaling Niche to Mass

Since filing for an IPO last year, Funko has released some of its financial data and offered a few key insights on the fast-growing, ever-volatile market for pop culture collectible merchandise. Here are some of the top takeaways and most interesting tidbits gleaned from a licensee generating around $800 million in licensed retail sales a year. While the company seems to … [Read more...] about Company Spotlight: On Scaling Niche to Mass

Franchises Drive Comics Sales in 2017

According to ICv2 and NPD BookScan, the top-selling comic book titles of 2017 hailed from the '80s—two 30-year-old volumes were the best-selling superhero titles of the year. Marvel’s top new title was Black Panther Book 1 and DC Comics’ top new titles were the collections of the Rebirth launches of Batman and The Flash. Twelve of the top 20 best-selling superhero titles of … [Read more...] about Franchises Drive Comics Sales in 2017

Entertaining Deals & Experiences

Bells are ringing for the latest royal marriage, this time between Nick Jr. and Thomas & Friends. A new agreement between parents Mattel and Nickelodeon will see new seasons of Thomas & Friends premiere on the kid's channel, with specials set to air on the Nickelodeon network throughout the year. Nick will also serve as Mattel's exclusive U.S. agent for Thomas merch … [Read more...] about Entertaining Deals & Experiences

Emerging Content

As we enter into the new year, here are the latest new brands with licensing potential as well as ways to exploit them. Hasbro is planning a new animated TV series for 2019 based on its Micronauts line of collectables. The mini superhero brand will see a live-action movie in 2020 following the TV series, which is aimed at 6–11 year-olds. Hulu teams up with executive producer … [Read more...] about Emerging Content

46 Properties Make the $100+ Million Ent/Char List in 2016

Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com A grand total of 46 properties made the $100 million entertainment/character list for 2016 retail sales, with five new faces joining the pack. See the complete list here. All in all, the top properties generated $43 billion in retail sales of licensed merchandise worldwide. Globally, that marks a $2 billion increase compared to … [Read more...] about 46 Properties Make the $100+ Million Ent/Char List in 2016