The Licensing Letter

News & Trends

Who’s News: WarnerMedia Appoints Head of Content Acquisition in Asia Pacific

WarnerMedia has appointed Melissa Lim as its new head of content acquisitions and co-productions for its children's networks in Asia Pacific, which include POGO, Cartoon Network and Boomerang. Lim's brief also includes advising on licensing content to fuel the growing demand for kids and family programming on the regional streaming service HBO GO in Southeast Asia.  Lim will be … [Read more...] about Who’s News: WarnerMedia Appoints Head of Content Acquisition in Asia Pacific

Merged WarnerMedia/Discovery Rebranded

Two weeks after the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, the new company's CEO David Zaslav has revealed the streaming service will now be known as Warner Bros. Discovery, tipping the hat to the history of both parties. Zaslav unveiled the new name and a new logo to staff (pictured), and also worked in a tagline for the new entity, borrowing the line "The stuff that dreams are … [Read more...] about Merged WarnerMedia/Discovery Rebranded

MBLM Expands Into Asia, Opens Office in Seoul

The vowel-free licensing company MBLM (pronounced 'Emblem') says it has taken its first giant step into the Asian market, opening a new office in Seoul, Korea, headed by industry veterans. MBLM describes itself as a "brand intimacy agency" which is focused on building ultimate brand relationships using emotional science. The approach has helped the company grow over the years, … [Read more...] about MBLM Expands Into Asia, Opens Office in Seoul

Amazon Shakes Up Streaming With MGM Acquisition

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief MGM's roaring lion is now purring happily in the Amazon stable, after the eCommerce giant acquired the historic film studio in a critical, $8.45 billion deal. That sum makes the MGM acquisition the second largest in Amazon's history, but Jeff Bezos and crew are betting their investment will pay off as part of the company's strategy to … [Read more...] about Amazon Shakes Up Streaming With MGM Acquisition

Who’s News: Stephanie Kupperman Launches Licensing Agency

Stephanie Kupperman, named a "rising star" of the industry by Licensing International, is now running her own agency called Licensing 360. "Licensing 360 is a full-service merchandise licensing agency, specializing in extending entertainment brands into powerful worldwide consumer product programs," said Kupperman. "The agency’s goal is to offer brands a tailored, … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Stephanie Kupperman Launches Licensing Agency

Universal Music Announces Licensing Truce With Triller

The months-long licensing dispute between Universal Music Group and the social video site Triller appears to be over, as UMG announced it has signed a worldwide agreement for its music catalog. Triller is a social media video app, similar to TikTok, in which users can combine video and licensed music to produce their own videos. Triller is different in the sense videos are … [Read more...] about Universal Music Announces Licensing Truce With Triller

Amazon Bidding For Acquisition of MGM

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief US tech and e-commerce giant Amazon is reportedly negotiating a deal to buy out the iconic MGM film studio for roughly $9 billion, according to an original report by industry publication Variety. Amazon, which also owns one of the world's largest streaming video services in Amazon Prime, is said to be several weeks into the talks, which are … [Read more...] about Amazon Bidding For Acquisition of MGM

WarnerMedia Merges With Discovery in $43 Billion Deal

WarnerMedia and Discovery announced a bold move in the ongoing streaming wars that sees the two companies merging in a $43 billion that cedes majority control to Warner's parent company AT&T. The resulting media conglomerate will act as a new, standalone company to be led by Discovery's president and CEO David Zaslav. The agreement will see AT&T receiving the full … [Read more...] about WarnerMedia Merges With Discovery in $43 Billion Deal

Who’s News: Licensing Veteran Liza Abrams Joins Brand Central 

Abrams to head booming trend service and licensing manufacturer representation Brand Central LLC announced this week the hiring of Liza Abrams to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Manufacturer Representation and Brand Central Insights trend service. Abrams will be based in New Jersey and will report directly to Brand Central CEO Ross Misher.  Brand … [Read more...] about Who’s News: Licensing Veteran Liza Abrams Joins Brand Central