Disney looks to raise its ownership stake in Disneyland Paris to 85.7% after cutting a deal to buy the interest held by another Euro Disney investor, Kingdom Holding Co. The company plans to buy out remaining shares and invest up to $1.6 billion in the park to improve conditions, which has been struggling with attendance figures following the Nov. 2015 terrorist attacks in … [Read more...] about M&A & Marketing
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M&A & Marketing
Disney looks to raise its ownership stake in Disneyland Paris to 85.7% after cutting a deal to buy the interest held by another Euro Disney investor, Kingdom Holding Co. The company plans to buy out remaining shares and invest up to $1.6 billion in the park to improve conditions, which has been struggling with attendance figures following the Nov. 2015 terrorist attacks in … [Read more...] about M&A & Marketing
Deals in Short
As always, see the complete list of deals from this last week here. In Japan, a Betty Boop-branded diner opens in Japan through a deal brokered with Food Business Consultant Inc. (FBC) by licensor King Features’ Japanese agent, Copyrights Asia. The location plans to feature merch and special holiday events in the '50s-esque eatery. WildBrain is appointed as the exclusive … [Read more...] about Deals in Short
Video Games in the Pipeline: 40% Sequels, 30% Licensed, 20% New IP
Over the next two years, releases of video games based on original IP are going to take a backseat to sequels, reboots, and licensed titles. Just 20.6% of titles are based on original IP—sequels comprise 43% of the list, followed by licensed titles at 30%. VR titles follow at 11%, with reboots making up 8% of the list. See the complete update to TLL's list of planned video … [Read more...] about Video Games in the Pipeline: 40% Sequels, 30% Licensed, 20% New IP
Video Game Sales Up; Licensed Options Grow
2016 was a big year for retail sales of video games—but, interestingly enough, licensed games didn't make much headlines (with the one obvious exception). In fact, it was just the opposite: Metacritic's lowest score of the year was for Activision's Ghostbusters. Meanwhile, Pokémon emerged as one of the hottest brands of 2016, topping the list of Google's breakout searches … [Read more...] about Video Game Sales Up; Licensed Options Grow
Star Wars, Barbie, and Hachimals Top Holiday Toys
While overall holiday sales were expected to increase just 3.4%, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that toy sales will grow 6.5% for the last six months of 2016. The NRF points to games and puzzles as the fastest-growing category (up 16%), followed by dolls and action figures (12% each). While interest in family games like Hasbro's Speak Out and Pie Face are one … [Read more...] about Star Wars, Barbie, and Hachimals Top Holiday Toys
Holiday Box Office, Upcoming Films Thru 2023
As we come to the end of the year, we've updated TLL's upcoming list of films with licensing potential. The biggest films of 2016 playing this holiday season are: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Disney): 12/16/16 Doctor Strange (Disney): 10/20/16: $215.5 million in gross earnings, counting the most recent weekend for which data is available Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find … [Read more...] about Holiday Box Office, Upcoming Films Thru 2023
Upcoming Branded Attractions at Theme Parks Worldwide
The amusement/theme park business is ramping up, and for licensed brands, it's only getting better. Global theme park spending totaled $40.4 billion in 2015, up 7.4% from 2014, according to the Intl. Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA). See the full story here. Upcoming Branded Attractions at Parks Worldwide Data Source: Brand Finance. Note: Numbers may … [Read more...] about Upcoming Branded Attractions at Theme Parks Worldwide
Licensing in the $40.4 Billion Theme Park Business
The amusement/theme park business is ramping up, and for licensed brands, it's only getting better. Global theme park spending totaled $40.4 billion in 2015, up 7.4% from 2014, according to the Intl. Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA). The IAAPA points to a 5.2% increase in attendance, the largest gain during the past five years, as the biggest reason for … [Read more...] about Licensing in the $40.4 Billion Theme Park Business
Retail Roundup
Barnes & Noble will host its first Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball on Dec. 9th at stores throughout the U.S. The event will feature activities including a designated themed craft-making station, wizarding charades and games, a coloring station, photo opportunities, face painting, fortune telling, and Harry Potter lookalike showcases. Select stores will also feature treats … [Read more...] about Retail Roundup