A Nickelodeon theme park is headed to the Mall of China in Chongqing, China. The 28,000 sq. meter (or just over 300 sq. ft.) park will showcase 29 attractions and 14 Nick properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PAW Patrol. The theme park is slated to open in 2020. Animaccord and Italian theme park Leolandia will open a … [Read more...] about Retail & Experiential: Theme Parks, Amazon Go & More
Experiential Licensing
Experiential Watch: Stage Shows, Events & Attractions
Discovery Consumer Products collaborates on a line of apparel and accessories with British pop artist Philip Colbert of The Rodnik Band. Labelled Discovery Shark, the dedicated pop-up shop opened at Old Spitalfield's Market in the U.K. leading up to the Discovery Channel's week-long event of shark programming. Zag Heroez Entertainment partners with Mills Entertainment to … [Read more...] about Experiential Watch: Stage Shows, Events & Attractions
Property Guys: Disney, Nintendo & Other Empires
By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. The Walt Disney Co. signs a 99-year lease for $650 million at 4 Hudson Sq., New York. The media conglomerate is expected to build a new headquarters at the downtown Manhattan location taking up over 1.2 million sq. ft. The high-tech, energy-efficient project will consolidate production and studio spaces from the Upper West … [Read more...] about Property Guys: Disney, Nintendo & Other Empires
Esports Watch: New Leagues & Expansions
Goldman Sachs reports that the esports market will see revenues hit $2.17 billion by 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.6%, according to a Reuters report. The revenue total includes media rights, ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorship, publisher fees, and direct advertisement. Talent agency UTA makes two acquisitions in the esports area: Press X, an esports talent … [Read more...] about Esports Watch: New Leagues & Expansions
Content Watch: New Series & Activations
Differential Brands Group will acquire the majority of Hong Kong-based Global Brands Group Holding Ltd.’s North American licensing business for $1.38 billion in an all-cash deal expected to close Q3 2018. The acquisition is expected to boost Differential Brands’ annual revenues up to more than $2.3 billion. The assets at stake comprise all of GBG's North American children’s … [Read more...] about Content Watch: New Series & Activations
Experiential, Content & Alternative Initiatives
FC Barcelona is ending its 17-year partnership with Nike where it ceded its retail and licensing rights to FCBMerchandising. The football club forms a new company to manage its retail, licensing, and merchandising activity. The newly formed Barça Licensing and Merchandising will take over its rights on July 1 and oversee a $77 million merchandising business spanning three of … [Read more...] about Experiential, Content & Alternative Initiatives
Experiential Activations
A new cross-media fitness campaign from Disney and Aspics features a series of "super work-out" videos, in-store activations, and a footwear collection all meant to celebrate the release of Incredibles 2. Mixed martial arts organization UFC and AirAsia, its sponsor and presenting sponsor of UFC Fight Night Singapore, launch the first UFC-branded livery on an AirAsia Airbus … [Read more...] about Experiential Activations
Birthday Cheer
Jim Davis’ Garfield celebrates his 40th birthday this year with a new TV series, book, feature film, and merchandise with the help of Paws, Inc. Later this year, a new animated series of 120 30-second shorts titled Garfield Originals will be released. An animated Garfield movie is also in development with Alcon Entertainment. The sarcastic fat cat is also collaborating with … [Read more...] about Birthday Cheer
Experiential: Live Shows, Tech & Film
This fall, Feld Entertainment and Universal Brand Development bring DreamWorks Trolls The Experience, a 12,000-square-foot 90-minute immersive walkthrough adventure, to New York. The live location-based experience marks the first collaboration in a multi-property relationship that will develop and create other large-scale and mobile pop-up immersive experiences. DreamWorks … [Read more...] about Experiential: Live Shows, Tech & Film
Pop-ups, Social Causes & Documentaries
Epic Rights launches a nostalgic and immersive *NSYNC-centric pop-up experience in Los Angeles to celebrate the 20 year history of the group as well as its new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition to official merchandise, the location also boasts photo activations and a display of props, wardrobe, and photography. The capsule collection's line of apparel and … [Read more...] about Pop-ups, Social Causes & Documentaries