This past week on April 27, 400 licensors, licensees, agents, and retailers came together across the pond to celebrate the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2017, now (apparently) "affectionately" known as ‘the Bellas.’ The B&LLAs celebrate the achievements of all those involved in the brand and lifestyle licensing community. This year, raffle prizes raised over … [Read more...] about Congrats to the Winners of ‘the Bellas’!
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Toy Industry Wrap-Up
The Toy Industry Association is changing its name, logo, offices, and mission to "align with the way the toy industry is changing and shifting." As part of its expanding presence on the world stage, the newly-dubbed Toy Association is expanding its core services and embarking on new ventures: Play Fair, a large-scale kid and family business-to-consumer event; … [Read more...] about Toy Industry Wrap-Up
Esports Coming to the Olympic Stage As Sales Go Up
The market for retail sales of licensed video games and software went up 2.2% to reach $3.07 billion in sales in 2016, according to TLL's 2017 Annual Licensing Business Survey. In contrast, video game-based licensing rose 3.5%. Esports provides a healthy boost in interest for older properties in particular, helping to maintain their relevance. All of the top video games in the … [Read more...] about Esports Coming to the Olympic Stage As Sales Go Up
Who’s News
Open call Looking to hire or be hired? Contact our business development team to feature your listing on TLL. Just want to feature your new hires? Contact editorial. The LEGO Group reshuffles its executive team: Bali Padda is President & CEO; Ulrik Gernow, Chief Business Transformation Officer; Julia Goldin, CMO; Marjorie Lao, CFO; Carsten Rasmussen is COO; Loren Shuster, … [Read more...] about Who’s News
M&A Shorts
In an interview with Bloomberg, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam reveals that the company is open to M&A talks with companies like CBS, Comcast, and Disney—in other words, a deal similar to the AT&T/Time Warner merger. MG Retailer reports that the average cannabis dispensary generates 2–3% of total revenue from sales of accessories and merchandise. The hottest items? Bob … [Read more...] about M&A Shorts
Royalty Rates Flat; Average Up to 8.75%
We're now in the second decade of long-term stability in royalty rates, with the average up 0.2% to reach 8.75% in 2016 for the U.S./Canada. In comparison, the average royalty was 8.73% in 2015 and 8.68% in 2014. Since 2005, the average royalty rate across property types and product categories has remained in the 8.6–8.8% range. Over three-fourths of respondants to TLL’s … [Read more...] about Royalty Rates Flat; Average Up to 8.75%
L’Oreal Ranks as Top Beauty Company of 2016
The top beauty company grew its sales 2.3% to reach $28.60 billion worldwide, according to a ranking by WWD. Unilever was No. 2 at $20.52, while Proctor & Gamble slid in at No. 3 despite a 12.5% drop in sales. To put the numbers into context, retail sales of licensed health and beauty products in the U.S./Canada stayed flat at 0.1% growth in 2016 to reach almost $7.7 billion, … [Read more...] about L’Oreal Ranks as Top Beauty Company of 2016
New Shows, Owners and Opportunities
TLL will be at Licensing Expo in Vegas at booth #G-65! Schedule an appointment by emailing us—our booth, or yours? Be sure to stop by and save on these to-be-released reports: 2017 Licensing Data Book 2017 Royalty Report 2017 Licensing Data Bank 2017 Licensing Letter Sourcebook Licensing Letter Sourcebook Online You'll also have the chance to enter our drawing and win a … [Read more...] about New Shows, Owners and Opportunities
Toys, Food & Apparel Lead Growth on Product Side
On the product category side of the $106.5 billion equation of 2016 licensed retail sales in the U.S./Canada, only three categories outperformed the average sector growth of 3.2%—toys/games (7.0%), food/beverages (6.0%), and apparel (5.8%). While most categories, including the top three, are down in growth from last year, overall upticks across the board indicate that the … [Read more...] about Toys, Food & Apparel Lead Growth on Product Side
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