Lionsgate promotes Kerry Phelan to President Global Franchise Management. Phelan is tasked with managing upcoming projects including Lionsgate Movie World in Korea, the Lionsgate Entertainment World indoor theme park in China, and the Lionsgate Entertainment City centers set to bow in the U.S. and Europe. Warner Bros. Consumer Products U.K. & Ireland appoints Rachel Wakley … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Articles
Estate-based Sales Edge Up 1.0% to Reach $2.29 Billion
Retail sales of licensed merchandise based on estate properties reached $2.29 billion in 2016, up 1.0% from $2.27 in 2015 for the U.S./Canada, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. Note that retail sales for the property type includes only deceased celebrities whose licensing strategies remain the same in death as in life. Deceased musicians, artists, and … [Read more...] about Estate-based Sales Edge Up 1.0% to Reach $2.29 Billion
M&A & Theme Parks
The VF Corp. acquires global workwear company Williamson-Dickie for approximately $820 million. Williamson-Dickie's brands—Dickies, Workrite, Kodiak, Terra, and Walls—will join VF’s Imagewear coalition, which includes Wrangler, Riggs Workwear, and Timberland Pro. The transaction is expected to be complete in Q4 of this year, and Williamson-Dickie CEO Philip Williamson will … [Read more...] about M&A & Theme Parks
Toy Roundup: Top News & Trends
Retail sales of licensed toys and games grew 7.0% to reach $8.06 billion in the U.S./Canada in 2016, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. Here are some of the latest developments in toy trends expected to impact the holiday season. Sales of hobby games in the U.S./Canada reached $1.44 billion in 2016, according to ICv2—growing 21% thanks to growth of … [Read more...] about Toy Roundup: Top News & Trends
Sales of Licensed Pet Products Up 5.2% in 2016
Licensed pet product sales grew 5.2% in 2016 to reach $443 million in the U.S./Canada, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. That makes it one of the fastest-growing product categories we track, behind only the massive food/beverages with 6.0% growth in 2016. A new report from Packaged Facts reveals that the pet toy category grew 4% from last year to reach over … [Read more...] about Sales of Licensed Pet Products Up 5.2% in 2016
Top Trends for the $27-30 Billion Back-to-school Season
Here's what to expect from this year's back-to-school season. Rosy estimates place retail sales at their highest levels yet. This year's K-12 back-to-school season is expected to generate $27 billion in retail sales in the U.S., according to Deloitte. The season alone is estimated to generate 50% of all school-related spending for the year by 29 million households. Estimates … [Read more...] about Top Trends for the $27-30 Billion Back-to-school Season
The Fight Against Counterfeits
Epic Counters Fakes on Social Media Epic Rights partners with CounterFind to combat counterfeit merchandise and pave the way for online brand protection within the music industry. Its brands include KISS, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, and more. CounterFind’s software finds all ads marketing counterfeit on sites like Facebook and Instagram, then shuts them down in real time. … [Read more...] about The Fight Against Counterfeits
To Join, or Not to Join: Amazon’s Retail Takeover
While some brands are embracing the Amazon marketplace, others are waging war against the ecommerce giant. Brands must make a choice: Deal with the black and/or grey markets, or else become part of the white market. Online/ecommerce grew in distribution channel share by three-tenths of a percentage point last year to reach 11.7% of all licensed sales in the U.S./Canada—or … [Read more...] about To Join, or Not to Join: Amazon’s Retail Takeover
56% of Upcoming Films are Reboots, Sequels
TLL has added even more films to our ongoing list of planned films with licensing potential—now totaling 159 titles through 2025. Note that although all of the release dates for movies on the list have been checked against multiple sources, there is still a probability dates will change. The further in the future a film is, the more likely its release date is to move. Just … [Read more...] about 56% of Upcoming Films are Reboots, Sequels
M&A & Investments
Discovery Communications will buy Scripps Networks Interactive for $11.9 billion early next year. The deal includes the assumption of $2.7 billion of Scripps’s net debt. Hasbro ends talks to buy out Lions Gate Entertainment, reportedly because of price disagreements. This comes after ultimately failed negotiations to buy out DreamWorks Animation in 2014, which was ultimately … [Read more...] about M&A & Investments