By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The global licensing agency IMG has closed a massive deal, securing a worldwide contract with the entertainment studio Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B).
Vancouver-based Lionsgate has produced some of the most popular film franchises in recent years, and helped establish Canada’s reputation as Hollywood North. Lionsgate has now confirmed it has appointed licensing leader IMG as its new and exclusive global agency for consumer products.
“We are excited to work with licensing powerhouse IMG to strategically build and extend our consumer products business around the world,” said Ryan Gallego, Lionsgate’s Executive Director of Consumer Products. “We can’t wait to deliver innovative and diverse product offerings to our fans in partnership with top retailers and licensing partners.”
In a multi-year agreement, IMG will work with Lionsgate to develop and expand strategic, multi-category consumer product programs for its blockbuster feature film franchises, including upcoming iterations of John Wick, The Hunger Games, Dirty Dancing, Expendables, and more.
They will also focus on Lionsgate’s rich catalog of television properties including Mad Men, Power, Orange is the New Black and Weeds. Lionsgate partners with Millennium Media on The Expendables franchise and Twisted Pictures on the Saw franchise.
Gary Krakower, Vice President of Licensing, IMG, said: “Lionsgate has one of the world’s largest libraries of iconic film and TV franchises that span every genre and continue to resonate with audiences everywhere. With a slate of new titles and iterations of its most popular blockbusters on the way, we see enormous opportunity to creatively bring the movies fans know and love to life in new ways.”
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This new partnership comes as Lionsgate’s Consumer Products business strategically merges with its Global Live, Interactive, and Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) into the newly-formed Global Products and Experiences.
The combined divisions will be run by Executive Vice President & Head of Global Products & Experiences, Jenefer Brown.
By uniting all of these businesses into one segment, Lionsgate says the studio will be well positioned to provide global audiences “with unrivalled products and experiences across its iconic franchises.”
Brown will report into Jen Hollingsworth, Chief Operating Officer of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
Lionsgate is currently among the world’s top 10 film studios, earning $885 million in revenue, and producing more than 400 films, which have collectively earned 129 Academy Award nominations, 32 Academy Award wins, 241 Emmy nominations, winning 38 Emmys, 157 Golden Globe® nominations, and 25 Golden Globe wins.
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