Coty has plans to divest or discontinue licensed lines representing 6-8% of its net revenue—a significant portion of these will be in the fragrance area. As part of Coty’s deal to buy 41 P&G beauty brands in October, the company will take over Hugo Boss and Gucci, among other licenses, which it plans to hone its focus on.
William Morris Endeavor acquires Rabineau Wachter Sanford & Gillett (RWSG), a boutique literary agency. Principal RWSG agents, Sylvie Rabineau and Jill Holwager Gillett, join WME’s Book to Film/TV division as Co-Heads; Geoffrey Sanford joins WME to oversee his current client list; and Liza Wachter leaves the company.
YouTube Space London has a new home in the King’s Cross area of central London. The new 20,000-square-foot Space is the largest in Europe and is the first to feature a store that’s open to the public and stocked with merchandise for purchase. The store will educate YouTubers about licensing their own products.
Dick’s Sporting Goods acquires Affinity Sports, a sports management technology service geared at youth sports and events.
Twitch acquires Curse, a 10-year-old multimedia and technology company that creates content, products, and tools specifically for gamers.
Advanced Sports Intl., maker of Fugi, SE Kestral, Breezer and Phat Cycles bike brands, acquires independent bicycle retailer Performance Bicycle.
Urban Expositions acquires LeftField Media, owner of Awesome Con and Play Fair. Founder Greg Topalian remains President and minority owner.