Relative to the rest of licensing, retail sales of goods licensed by digital celebrities grew with the speed of a viral video in 2015, spiking 8% to approach $1 billion in 2015 according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Licensing Business Survey. The fledgling subcategory of the celebrity property type grew more during the year than any full-fledged property type except for the … [Read more...] about TLL Survey: Nascent Digital Celebs Sector Rivals Entertainment/Character for Growth
TLL
Kid’s Tech Goes Back to the Future
By Karina Masolova The future of kid's tech products sees an overhaul in traditional play patterns even as less modern concerns are being addressed. TLL recently attended the Kids' & Family Tech Expo in NYC hosted by Child's Play Communications. From this intimate subset of kid's tech manufacturers emerges a picture of how the industry is addressing the biggest concerns in … [Read more...] about Kid’s Tech Goes Back to the Future
Mergers & Acquisitions
PlayMonster acquires Automoblox, a line of collectible toy vehicles in the classic wooden toy car category. VF Corp. completes the sales of its contemporary brands business (7 for All Mankind, Splendid and Ella Moss) to Delta Galil Industries. People and Entertainment Weekly launch an ad-supported streaming service called the People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). The … [Read more...] about Mergers & Acquisitions
Who’s News
Andrew Cooper is the new President of Sequential Brands Group.HMD global Oy appoints Pekka Rantala CMO. Following NBCUniversal’s acquisition of DreamWorks Animation, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group restructures its management team. Vince Klaseus leads the combined Universal and DreamWorks Animation games, digital and consumer products divisions. Margie Cohn helms the … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Deal Sheet — 9/14/2016
Quick Navigate Properties Available or Recently Assigned, U.S. Licenses Recently Granted, U.S. Intl. Properties Available or Recently Assigned Intl. Licenses Recently Granted Archived Deal Sheets Licenses Recently Granted, U.S. *Extension or renewal. PropertyGranted ToProducts ManufacturedGranted By Amy Coe Kidz ConceptsApparel (children's, infant's, … [Read more...] about Deal Sheet — 9/14/2016
Retail Sales of Licensed Wearables Up in Every Territory in 2015
By Glenn S. Demby, Esq. Worldwide retail sales of apparel/accessories/footwear tied to licensed properties were up a robust 3.9% at just below $66.1 billion in 2015. Wearables is a bellwether of overall licensing business due not only to its size, but because it provides an outlet for so many of the industry's most important property types including fashion, … [Read more...] about Retail Sales of Licensed Wearables Up in Every Territory in 2015
Billboard the Latest to Use Private Partners to Expand in China
By Karina Masolova Billboard expands into China with a number of branded media platforms in partnership with Vision Music, a Chinese media company focusing on the entertainment, fashion, lifestyle and sports sectors. Under the agreement, Billboard will provide music content channels via multiple platforms, including print, internet and mobile. The announcement follows … [Read more...] about Billboard the Latest to Use Private Partners to Expand in China
Deal Sheet — 9/7/2016
Quick Navigate Properties Available or Recently Assigned, U.S. Licenses Recently Granted, U.S. Intl. Properties Available or Recently Assigned Intl. Licenses Recently Granted Archived Deal Sheets Licenses Recently Granted, U.S. *Extension or renewal. PropertyGranted ToProducts ManufacturedGranted By Country Music Association (CMA) Hallmark LicensingGreeting … [Read more...] about Deal Sheet — 9/7/2016
Music Licensed Goods Down 1.7% as Movie Merch Spread Out on Shelves
By Marcy Magiera U.S. and Canadian sales of licensed goods based on music properties trended down for the second consecutive year in 2015, though not as steeply as in 2014. Music licensed goods represented $2.45 billion in North American retail sales in 2015, a drop of 1.7%, according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Licensing Business Survey. In 2014, sales of music licensed … [Read more...] about Music Licensed Goods Down 1.7% as Movie Merch Spread Out on Shelves
Rogue Film’s Miniature Launch
By Karina Masolova In a move reminiscent of last year's Force Friday unboxing events, Disney revealed the new toy line for upcoming film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story via a series of fan-made videos on Star War's YouTube channel. Unlike last year however, the toys—from Hasbro, LEGO, Funko, Jakks Pacific, Mattel and Disney Store—are brought to life in scripted stop-animation … [Read more...] about Rogue Film’s Miniature Launch