In 2016, we tracked 2.7% growth worldwide from the previous year to bring licensed retail sales up to a record $167.5 billion. The U.S./Canada was responsible for over 60% of that total (with almost $106.6 billion in sales) and provided much of the impetus for growth worldwide—the territory grew 3.2% in licensed sales from the previous year. This year, we saw the largest Black … [Read more...] about Year in Review: A Study in Contrasts
Experiential Licensing
Guess Who’s Back
By: Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Nostalgia remains strong for retro brands—and it's not just '50s and '60s-inspired designs, icons, and goods. The '90s counts, too. We review the top retro announcements this week. Epic Rights signs *NSYNC, one the bestselling bands of all-time with over 70 million records sold, in time for the 20th anniversary of the pop … [Read more...] about Guess Who’s Back
New Content Generation & Experiential News
Hasbro opens a new film studio, Allspark Pictures, to be led by Greg Mooradian. Mooradian will begin overseeing the division's film and television production in January. Italian prodco Rainbow acquires a majority stake in entertainment media group Iven. The first collaboration is an untitled young adult TV series based on a graphic novel; the second a theatrical adaptation of … [Read more...] about New Content Generation & Experiential News
M&A & Promotions
CORRECTION: On Sept. 9, we reported a new “patent cross-licensing” deal between Scientific Games and Intl. Game Technology (IGT). The agreement only covers "game features" patents, and does not, as our earlier story might have suggested, cover other types of intellectual property such as brand licenses. Learfield and IMG make their union official, formally announcing a … [Read more...] about M&A & Promotions
Roundup: Experiential Initiatives
Live arena production Fast & Furious Live is set to debut on a global tour in January 2018. Produced in partnership with Universal Brand Development, Fast Live Productions, and Live Nation, the show launches in London before racing through 23 other European cities. The two-hour show features cars, locations, and scenes from the film series through state-of-the-art 3D … [Read more...] about Roundup: Experiential Initiatives
Roundup: Digital Content, Apps & Social
By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com After pulling its Disney and Pixar movies from Netflix when its contract ends in 2019, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirms that the company will also move its Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe content from the streaming provider. Disney's own planned streaming service will launch late 2019. Marvel is rolling out preschool … [Read more...] about Roundup: Digital Content, Apps & Social
Experiential Roundup
Nickelodeon and Spin Master take Paw Patrol to Visionworks locations as part of a back-to-school initiative. Kids who have completed their annual eye exam get a free gift, which includes a Paw Patrol activity sheet, crayons, stickers, and a character mask. Beginning this July, the retailer will also debut it first-ever kids’ line of Paw Patrol frames, designed and distributed … [Read more...] about Experiential Roundup
Snacking on Branding
Fans will be able to snack on Shopkins macarons, enjoy a Shopkins manicure, play with their favourite characters, check out the full European line in Shopkins World Vacation, enjoy photo opportunities, and more. The Parisian-themed, limited-time pop-up shop—Shopkins Macaron Café—opens in New York City from June 17–19. Moose Toys will be there to celebrate the collectibles … [Read more...] about Snacking on Branding
Entertainment in Experiential & Social
Sanrio joins forces with Snapchat to bring over 30 character stickers to the app, including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Badtz-Maru, Chococat, and Keroppi. The month-long partnership coincides with Sanrio Character Ranking 2017, an annual competition where fans get the chance to vote for their favorite Sanrio character. Each sticker used will count as a vote for the chosen … [Read more...] about Entertainment in Experiential & Social
Legal Updates
The sale of the Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City might be in jeapordy after a federal court documents revealed an arbitation finding that current owner Bossier Casino Venture (BCV) is contractually obligated to use the Margaritaville brand through the end of its 40-year agreement—or the next 35 years—with licensor Margaritaville. Even if the casino is sold, BCV is … [Read more...] about Legal Updates