Electronic Arts’ partnership with FIFA has been incredibly lucrative for both parties, and now the EA SPORTS division is doubling down with a massive expansion of games based on their collaboration. EA announced this week the signing of a multiyear UEFA license extension, ensuring the pinnacle of club football remains exclusive to EA SPORTS. As well, EA is expanding football video game access through multiple in-development mobile offerings, and by broadening the PC free-to-download FIFA Online 4 title’s reach to potentially 80 million players in more than 15 new countries. Additionally, the franchise will launch on Stadia for the first time when EA SPORTS FIFA 21 is available March 17 for the Stadia platform. EA says this expansion of the original agreement builds on the continued growth and success of the… . . . read more
Special Report: How Celebrities Are Driving the Booze Business
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Acquisitions in the liquor business aren’t generally noticed by the general public, but the buyout of Davos Brands by industry giant Diageo rated a feature story in People Magazine, and pretty much every other entertainment magazine in the world. The reason is that Davos is partly owned by Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, who purchased a major share of Davos Brands’ Aviation Gin … and sold it just two years later for an astounding $610 million. In between those two milestones, Aviation Gin appeared in thousands of liquor stores around the world, racking up huge sales in North America and the U.K. Reynolds’ new partners Christian Krogstad and Ryan Magarian are probably still pinching themselves to see if it’s all real. The rise of… . . . read more
Creative Licensing Announces New Game Deals
Creative Licensing isn’t just playing around, but they’re making it a lot more fun for those who are. Creative Licensing has been busy expanding their roster of digital games, introducing some familiar action heroes from the ’80s and ’90s to a new generation of gamers and fans through downloadable content (DLC) licenses. The LA-based firm has inked new gaming deals with major franchises like World of Tanks, Mortal Kombat, Fortnite, Dead By Daylight, and Evil Dead: The Game. All of the agreements involved popular film or video game characters being incorporated into these game franchises. In an agreement legendary cinematic war hero John Rambo was enlisted in one of the most successful fighting franchises in video game history when he drew first blood inside the Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate universe as… . . . read more
Special Report: The Evolution of Music Licensing
By Gary Symons, TLL Editor in Chief The Bob Dylan music deal with Universal Music has shown that for musicians and music companies, the times truly are a’changin’. But, in truth, that change was coming long before Universal stroked a check for a reported $300 million to $400 million, in return for Dylan’s entire music catalog of roughly 600 songs. Also in December Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks sold 80 per cent of the rights to her catalog of songs she wrote to music publisher Primary Wave for a reported $100 million. In August, Imagine Dragons sold their catalog for more than $100 million to Concord Music Publishing. What should have gained a lot more press, however, were the other deals happening in 2019 and building momentum through 2020. For… . . . read more
Neil Young to Cash In on Music Catalogs
Canadian rock star and songwriter Neil Young is out of the blue, and heavily into the black, after selling a 50 per cent interest in his music catalog for an estimated $150 million US. As noted in this week’s Special Report from The Licensing Letter, the past four years and 2020 in particular have seen a massive increase in the value and scale of music catalog deals. Sales rose from an average of $100 million to $200 million a year prior to 2016, to more than $4 billion in 2019. Figures for 2020 are not yet out, but music rights deals are expected to hit a new and dramatic high after landmark deals with Bob Dylan, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, and many others. Young’s sale… . . . read more
“Makeup junkie” Halsey Launches Own Beauty Line
Most people, including her fans, aren’t aware that hit singer/songwriter Halsey is a self-taught makeup artist, so it makes sense she’s launching her own beauty line on Jan. 25 under the brand name about-face. “Makeup is an art and art is about happy accidents, not any one ideal of perfection,” said Halsey, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of about-face. “I always feel the most free when I am creating looks without following any rules. The beauty industry has norms, but I want to encourage people to challenge those standards and allow things to be imperfect and fun.” Halsey says she’s always taken control of her own look on stage and for music videos. Over the years she’s become a self-described “makeup junkie,” and has an encyclopedic knowledge of brands, application… . . . read more
Fashion Licensing Pioneer Ruth McCarthy Manton Dies at 95
Ruth McCarthy Manton, a pioneer in the business of fashion licensing, passed away at her home on Christmas Eve. Manton was also among the first female fashion journalists in the industry, but it was her innovative work after founding Aries Design Management that made her a force to be reckoned with in the licensing business. Manton’s idea was to link up top designers directly with manufacturers to create wide ranges of products, and to use media and aggressive marketing to get those products in front of the public’s eye. Early in her new career Manton concluded that reaching the mass market in America would require partnerships with celebrities, particularly those from TV shows and movies. Her close friend, the film producer David Gil, suggested Manton start by partnering with Jaclyn… . . . read more
#1 TikTok Star Charli D’Amelio and Family Get Hulu Series
Charli D’Amelio must have one of the fastest arcs to stardom of all time, rocketing to 100 million followers as the top TikTok user, and now getting a series on Hulu with her sister Dixie (also a TikTok star of note), and their parents Heidi and Marc. “The D’Amelio Show” will air on Hulu in 2021 as an eight-episode docuseries that follows “the first family of TikTok” as they live through the sudden transition from ordinary American family to international celebrities. “Two years ago Charli and Dixie D’Amelio were virtually unknown outside of their town, and now have over 100 million fans who tune in daily for their every move. Every teen on social media dreams of becoming famous, but what happens when the reality hits?” said Belisa Balaban, VP… . . . read more
Bad Boys Ride Together, Die Together, and License Merch Together
Is it really possible that it’s only now, 25 years after the first Bad Boys movie dropped, that one can actually buy Bad Boys’ merch? Apparently so, and shoppers have only the week before Christmas to get their hands on the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence-themed clothing line at an online pop-up shop, the badboysmoviestore.com. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first Bad Boys flick, the action-comedy franchise released a clothing capsule just in time for the holidays. The nine-piece collection includes T-shirts, pullover hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, and a couple of accessories, most of which are presented in monochromatic colors. The imagery in the collection reflects the original 1995 film as well as the 2003 and 2020 sequels. You’ll see screen-printed quotes and photos of the film’s two main protagonists—Mike Lowrey and Marcus… . . . read more
Spotify Crowns Its Year With Royal Podcast Deal
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Photo by Mark Jones The audio streaming leader Spotify has literally placed a crown on the year 2020, as its burgeoning podcast business signed a multi-year partnership with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The royal couple recently formed Archewell Audio, and that company will now produce regular podcasts for Spotify’s 144 million premium subscribers and 320 million monthly active users. “What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction,” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a joint statement. “With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we… . . . read more