The pop culture product company Funko released its fourth quarter results this week, showing a strong finish after a brutal year in which global sales were strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While Funko's profitability suffered mightily through most of the year, the company says its recovery in Q4 leads management to predict a dramatic turnaround in 2021, with an … [Read more...] about Funko Ends Strong in Tough Year
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EA Funds New Games From Silver Rain
A new gaming studio headed by BAFTA-nominated actor/producer Abubakar Salim has signed a dream deal with sector giant Electronic Arts Inc. Silver Rain Games is a new gaming company with no titles published to date, but Salim has signed a major deal with a division of EA dedicated to supporting indy studios, called EA Originals Label. Under the agreement, EA Originals will … [Read more...] about EA Funds New Games From Silver Rain
Jazwares Extends Fortnite Licensing Deal
Jazwares, a global leader in toys and licensing, today announced its partnership with Epic Games for Fortnite toys and collectibles has been extended through 2025, in a deal brokered by IMG. Starting in January 2022, Jazwares will be the exclusive toy partner for Fortnite action figures four-inches-high and under and their compatible vehicles, play sets, accessories and … [Read more...] about Jazwares Extends Fortnite Licensing Deal
K-Pop Back on Spotify After Deal With Kakao
Music streaming leader Spotify says it has reached an agreement with Kakao Entertainment (previously known as KakaoM), making their content available on the platform across the globe, including for the first time in South Korea. As reported in The Licensing Letter, Kakao and Spotify were in a bitter dispute over music rights that saw hundreds of popular K-pop songs removed from … [Read more...] about K-Pop Back on Spotify After Deal With Kakao
Random House Signs LEGO Book Deal
Random House has signed a deal that will see a major expansion of book titles being published and distributed globally for toy giant LEGO. Under the agreement, Random House Children’s Books will partner with AMEET Publishing, LEGO Publishing’s worldwide strategic partner, to expand the LEGO Books business, said Chris Angelilli, VP & Editor-in-Chief of Licensed Publishing, … [Read more...] about Random House Signs LEGO Book Deal
Massive Campaign Marks Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary
Following hard on the release of Wonder Woman 1984, DC and Warner Bros. are launching a sprawling, global campaign to celebrate 80 years of the Wonder Woman character, which is arguably more popular today than ever. The global anniversary party will launch under the 'Believe In Wonder' slogan, and will include worldwide events such as fan favorite digital content, new … [Read more...] about Massive Campaign Marks Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary
Minecraft Gets Physical With Scavenger Hunt
The massively popular online world of Minecraft has now crossed into the real, physical world in an innovative cross-promotion with the Australian department store chain Big W. Minecraft, which allows players to build out their own virtual worlds and environments, is considered by many to be the world's best-selling video game of all time. Now, fans in Australia are seeing the … [Read more...] about Minecraft Gets Physical With Scavenger Hunt
Sesame Street Joins Blank Slate Art Platform
Sesame Street is the first brand to launch as part of “Blank Slate,” a new platform partnership between Champion Athleticwear and Foot Locker, Inc. The platform taps notable artists and content creators to bring exclusive collaborations to life through a unique lens. Jason Freeny and Naturel are two of the artists re-imagining Sesame Street’s iconic characters in these … [Read more...] about Sesame Street Joins Blank Slate Art Platform
ViacomCBS Appoints Licensing Head for China
ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) has appointed Jennifer Pang to lead its business in Greater China. Pang will be based in Hong Kong, reporting to Mark Kingston, Senior Vice President of International Licensing. Claire O’Connor, the company's previous Vice President, Consumer Products & Retail Marketing for the Asia Pacific region, will exit the business. As Vice … [Read more...] about ViacomCBS Appoints Licensing Head for China
Crunchyroll Going Strong With Anime Licensing
The specialty anime streaming service Crunchyroll is on a licensing tear this year, as its subscriber base has continued to surge and a key acquisition deal in the works. "Crunchyroll is wrapping the first quarter of the new year with a full slate of licensing deals for a variety of anime series across categories including the smash-hit action series Jujutsu Kaisen, which was … [Read more...] about Crunchyroll Going Strong With Anime Licensing